The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Insult and defamation laws

Laws that make it a crime, not only a civil wrong, to damage a person's reputation, to insult a head of state or a monarch (known as lèse-majesté), or to publish information that a government declares false, including laws against "fake news". Convictions can bring fines or prison.

1 recorded incident in 1 country; the earliest in the record is dated February 10, 2026.

Incidents by country and year

India (1)

DateIncidentHead of governmentOutcome
February 10, 2026India: one-year prison sentence for the journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, February 2026Narendra ModiUnknown (February 10, 2026)

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