Lucknow-based journalist Manish Pandey of News1 India, a Hindi news channel, was summoned (without serving a notice) by assistant superintendent who interrogated him over an hour for his story on state's medical college quality standards.

Rocil Otouna, a presenter on state TV broadcaster Télé Congo was suspended on April 30 after he asked the country's justice minister

Liberia's Solicitor General told a press conference that the government would shut down any media outlet that reports 'fake new' about COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon announced cancellation of current press passes being used by journalists in the wake of the lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina demanded an investigation by the prosecutor’s office into media outlets over alleged “biased and false allegations” made in reports about the purchase of respirators during the pandemic. Journalists from several outlets questioned the high price paid to the Chinese supplier. Director of the Federal Civil Protection Directorate, Fahrudin Solak, demanded an investigation by the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of Sarajevo Canton, leading to condemnation by journalist unions.

Police in Ukraine aggressively pushed and then broke the camera equipment of Bohdan Kutepov, a journalist with online TV and news platform Hromadske, as he reported on an anti-lockdown protest in the capital Kiev. The incident was caught on video footage.

Lok Karki, a reporter for Radio Dhangadhi was detained for six days in Doti district while reporting on mismanagement of food distribution and relief items during Covid-19 lockdown.

The Health Professionals Asscoaition of Nepal issued a public statement threatening journalists in Chitawan district for reporting about theft of medical supplies from a COVID-19 field hospital. Subash Pandit, a reporter for Online Khawar, had reported the theft.

Zubair Ahmed, a freelance journalist, was arrested by the police in Andaman & Nicobar for posting a tweet questioning why families were placed under home quarantine for merely speaking over the phone with Coronavirus patients.

Police detained Binod Babu Rijal, editor of the Kayakaran Daily, and Arjun Adhikari, a reporter for Radio Triveni, for one hour in Chitwan district for reporting during lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Their phones were taken away despite the two identifying themselves as journalists.

Pramita Dhakal, a journalist for Kantipur daily, was detained for three hours by the police while she was taking photographs of vehicles seized during lockdown in Chitwan district.

Slovene Interior Minister Aleš Hojs called for journalists and media professionals who reported from the scene of anti-lockdown protests to face criminal prosecution. Hojs said on Twitter that police should identify and then charge anyone who attended, took photographs or reported from the scene with violating lockdown measures. He then singled out the editor-in-chief of the left-leaning weekly newspaper Mladina as having attended.

The Hungarian government has centralized communications about the pandemic and is filtering the release of information about COVID-19, according to a report by the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. It says alternative sources of information, especially healthcare workers, are afraid of being fired if they talk to the press, and that the new “Coronavirus bill” will lead to more self-censorship among journalists. During government press conferences, questions chosen for answering are highly selected, with certain outlets neglected and many sensitive questions unanswered.

Zubair Ahmed, a freelance journalist in Andaman region of India was arrested for asking on twitter why a family of four had been quarantined for speaking over phone to a relative who was CVOVID-19 positive. Police have charged the journalist under several offences of the Indian law.

A member of the states legislative assembly of Karnataka province in India was booked on the charges of assaulting journalists and obstructing COVD-19 testing for media persons.

Chhattisgarh government issued a show-cause notice to Neeraj Shivhare, a journalist with Bastar ki Aawaz, for reporting on the plight of a woman who had to sell her household items to arrange food during the COVID-19 lockdown which the authorities said had “damaged the image of the administration”.

Russian authorities opened a pre-investigation check under the newly amended article 207.1 of the criminal code on "fake news" on Tatyana Voltskaya, a St. Petersburg-based journalist, over an article she published which interviewed a medical worker about the possible shortage of ventilation machines. Her journalistic materials were also confiscated.

Multiple FIRs lodged against editor-in-chief of Republic TV Arnab Goswami in various states for alleged defamatory remarks on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the Palghar lynching which took place in Maharashtra.

Photojournalist Wojciech Jakub Atys, of the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, will be taken to court after he took photographs of a very small anti-lockdown protest held outside the house of the leader of Law and Justice party, Jarosław Kaczyński. Despite crews from the public broadcaster TVP and Polish Press Agency PAP also being present to film the small-scale demonstration, only Atys was penalised. Police allege he violated social distancing rules.

Andrew Sam Raja Pandian, founder of a portal called SimpliCity was arrested in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu for filing news reports related to COVID-19. He was arrested under Sections 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), and 505(i) (statement conducing public mischief) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Before Pandian was arrested, the city police had detained the journalist and the photographer who had reported the stories, Jerald Aruldas and M Balaji respectively, for nine hours.

Police in Eswatini detained Eugene Dube, journalist and editor of Swati Newsweek Online publication, Swaziland News, in Nhlangano over an article he wrote about the public health strategy of King Mswati III during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was charged with writing ill about the King, which according to police, constitutes high treason. Dube criticised the country’s lack of social distancing measures

The Arua district coronavirus disease (COVID-19) task force in Uganda has banned media from covering its weekly meetings meant to solicit for funds to support their operations.

Andrew Sam Raja Pandian, founder of a portal called SimpliCity, was arrested for publishing a news item on alleged shortcomings faced by government healthcare professionals and alleged corruption by some employees of a public distribution system (PDS) outlet. A complaint was filed against him by authorities claiming the information was false and provocative.

The managing director and social media administrator of the Iranian Labor News Agency in Iran were arrested after a cartoon mocking the reaction of the country’s leaders to the pandemic was allegedly posted on its Telegram channel. Both men were arrested the same day. The ILNA denied the post and claimed it was wrongly accused on social media. Tehran's prosecutor general alleges the image was published and then swiftly deleted.

Tongam Rina, the associate editor of the Itanagar-based The Arunachal Times in India’s North-East received online threats after writing about government officials attempting to track down animal and reptile hunters, amidst fears that meat of these animals could spread COVID-19.

Subrat Kumar Swain, correspondent with Odia daily Sambad was allegedly beaten up by a police sub-inspector identified as Ashutosh Mohanty while he was taking his ailing child to a hospital

A military leader in Fiji said the government was justified in “stifling criticism” of its policies by the media during the COVID-19 pandemic. The comments, made in a Fiji Sun op-ed, argued that the health crisis was a good justification to “curtailing freedom of speech and freedom of the press” and restrict journalist’s right to question policy decisions.

Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone booked journalist and author Gowhar Geelani for allegedly “indulging in unlawful activities” through social media that are “prejudicial to the national integrity, sovereignty and security of India”

Samrat Pradhan (25 years), a business correspondent of a magazine and his cousin Amit Kar (25 years), working in a hotel were allegedly tortured for 15 hours at Hennur police station in Bangalore, Karnataka.

A journalist and camera operator of RTV Slon were briefly detained by police while shooting images in the Tuzla Canton, despite having valid press cards and permits that allowed them to move around and work during the curfew. They were reporting in the current context of pandemic on a group of citizens which had arrived at a COVID-19 isolation centre in Tuzla. The police seized the journalists' phones and deleted all the footage about the event they were reporting on.

Talib Ussi Hamad, a journalist, was suspended from doing any journalistic work for a period of six months for allegedly violating journalism ethics and publishing information about a person suffering from coronavirus without seeking her consent.

Ms Tonga Mrina, Editor Arunachal Times received several online threats after publishing a story “Wildlife hunting on spike, say forest officials”

A senior journalist, Peerzada Ashiq, of The Hindu was summoned by the Cyber police headquarters in Srinagar to explain the alleged factual inaccuracies in a story regarding an encounter between militants and security forces at Shopian

Chinese police arrested three people who volunteer for an open-source website that collects and republishes news articles and social media posts that have been censored by the Chinese government. Many of the reports recently republished on Terminus2049 were articles critical of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The three Beijing-based volunteers were held under “residential surveillance” an at unknown location on suspicion of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. Terminus2049 was also blocked inside China.

A law in the Nigerian state of Ebonyi passed earlier this month to penalize the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 and other infectious diseases was used to arrest and charge journalist Chijioke Agwu. The reporter, a correspondent for The Sun newspapers, was detained on the orders of Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi over a report he wrote about the Lassa fever, a viral illness endemic in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. The governor accused Agwu of lying and breaking the new law – an allegation refuted by his employer.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Algeria headed by newly elected President Abdelmadjid Tebboune approved a bill amending the country’s penal code to criminalize the spreading of “false news” that harms national unity. The sweeping new law gives authorities powers to tackle misinformation about the virus, but also opens the door to possible censorship. Penalties range between two to five years in jail and carry fines of up to €3,600.

Illegal miner threatened reporter Rajkaran Mahato and cameraman Bibek Mahato with the Annapurna Post newspaper while they were documenting illegal sand mining during Covid-19 lockdown in Mottahari district in Nepal.

Journalists have condemned the decision of the Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra for banning the sale of distribution of newspapers claiming that it could spread the virus. Journalists in Pune are helping set up small shops to sell newspapers.

Police in the southern Indian state of Telangana booked three journalists in two separate cases of spreading "fake news". In one case, two journalists had published a story stating that a person, who distributed food to poor families, had tested Covid-19 positive, which the police said is not correct. In the second case another journalist falsely reported that senior district officials were being tested for Covid-19, which has also been denied by the administration.

Jammu and Kashmir Police booked Masrat Zahra (26 years), a freelance photojournalist, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for her alleged “anti-national posts” in the social media.

A journalist working for radio station La Voz de Mi Gente in El Salvador was obstructed from carrying out his work by members of the armed forces and police as he tried to report on newly implemented COVID-19 sanitary measures in the area of Ahuachapán. He was carrying his press card at the time.

The Athens-based offices of SKAI, one of the largest media groups in Greece, was targeted in a firebomb attack by an anarchist group which accused it, among other things, of purposefully misleading people on the behest of the state during the COVID-19 crisis. The building, which hosts the prominent daily newspaper Kathimerini and the SKAI radio and TV stations, was hit by two makeshift devices which exploded in the courtyard and first floor balcony. The attack was later claimed by a group called Anarchist Comrades, who posted footage online alongside a statement denouncing SKAI as being part of the “mass media” mouthpiece of the right-wing government during the pandemic. COVID-19 coverage was specifically mentioned as part the group’s justification for the attack.

Journalists Manoj Mourbait and Sibendra Rohita working for Janakpur Today and www.khojkendra.com investigative portal were attacked on in Dhanusha district. The journalists were assaulted by a gang of five on their way home from reporting about the COVID-19. Their laptop and camera were also taken away.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it will fine people up to 20,000 dirhams (€5,500) if they share medical information about the coronavirus that contradicts official statements. The excessive “fake news” regulation tightens the state’s control over information and opens the door to potential fines for journalists whose reporting challenges authorities’ official figures.

The Press and Public Relations Department of Venezuela's Sucre State restricted journalist José Rengel’s access to a press conference by Te Lo Cuento News, which was intended to focus on the health sector. It was the second time ajournalist was denied entry to a press conference.

The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) suspended the Mwananchi newspaper online content delivery license for six months and ordered the publication to pay a fine of TZS 5 million. The newspaper was punished for posting a video showing President John Magufuli in a crowded fish market after ordering social distancing.

Journalists and media workers in Trinidad and Tobago have reportedly been subjected to a torrent of criticism and threats online – some of it by senior government figures – over their critical reporting and questioning of the authorities’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since her release from jail on unjustified charges of “spreading panic” about COVID-19 in an article she wrote about the lack of basic PPE in a city hospital, Serbian journalist Ana Lalić has received several serious threats, calls for prosecution from pro-government media, and been targeted in an online smear campaign branding her an enemy of the state, making her fear for her safety.

A Kannada language TV Channel, Public TV, was served a show cause notice by the ministry of Information and Broadcasting for airing a programme in which it was claimed that the government was planning to drop money from helicopters to the poor during the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

A group of women assaulted Balasaheb Navgire, a journalist in Ahmednagar district of the western Indian state of Maharashtra after he reported about some families quarantined by the district authorities to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The members of these families claimed that they lost their jobs after the report was published and their identities revealed.

Vesinfiltro reported a blocking by internet providers of portals hosted by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó related to information about COVID-19. The blocked portals are presidenciave.com, presidencia.org, coronavirusvenezuela.org, pvenezuela.com and teleconsulta.presidenciave.org

A reporter of a local TV channel, Priyanshu Kumar, filed a complaint with the police alleging that some people pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him for reporting about violation of social distancing in town market in Samastipur district of Bihar.

Radio and Television High Council (RTÜK) issued broadcast bans for three nights on prime time news over anchor Fatih Portakal's critical comments while reporting state's Covid 19 policies. Fox TV was also fined with a monetary bill to pay 3 % of its advertisement revenue.

Mumbai Police arrested ABP News correspondent Rahul Kulkarni over his claim that the Railways would restart operations which the police alleged may have prompted gathering of hundreds of migrants outside the Bandra station in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Gowhar Ali Wani (21 years), a freelance journalist alleged that the police beat him up and arrested his father in Handwara in Jammu & Kashmir.

Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta was forced to delete an article written well-known journalist Elena Milashina that criticized the measures being taken in the Russian republic of Chechnya to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and questioned the preparedness of the republic’s hospitals. The order came from the country’s media regulator Roskomnadzor and followed a series of violent threats made against the journalist by the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

In April, Mexican authorities sent notices to the Diario de Juárez and El Diario de Chihuahua newspapers about the coverage of the COVID-19 crisis, with warnings over administrative sanctions against them for spreading “false information”

Iraq has suspended the licence of the Reuters news agency after it published a story saying the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country was higher than officially reported.

Somali security forces arrested Aiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye, the editor of Goobjoog News in Mogadishu, over a Facebook post he made which reported that President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo took a ventilator meant for Covid-19 patients from a hospital in the capital.

FIR was registered at the Gopiganj police station in Bhadohi district of Utttar Pradesh against four journalists and two others on the charges of spreading “fake news” about an incident in which a woman hurled her five children into a river.

Azerbaijani journalists Ibrahim Vazirov and Mirsahib Rahiloghlu were arrested by police over critical reporting of the authorities handling of COVID-19. The reporting highlighted the difficulties faced by Azerbaijanis during the quarantine regime. Vazirov was placed under 25-day administrative arrest, Rahiloghlu for 20 days. The leader of the opposition Popular Front Party called the government’s actions a ‘hunt’ for journalists.

Prominent Russian investigative journalist Elena Milashina was targeted with threats and insults by head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, after she published an article questioning the preparedness of the republic’s hospitals for the coronavirus. Both the journalist and the newspaper she works for, Novaya Gazeta, were heavily criticized by Kadyrov live on social media. He insulted Milashina, accused her outlet of spreading disinformation, and called on the FSB and the Russian authorities to stop the journalists.

US President Donald Trump verbally attacked media outlets and individual journalists at a COVID-19 press conference and, in attempt to deflect criticism, played a campaign-style video produced by his team which argued that the media had downplayed the seriousness of the health crisis.

Somali National TV journalist Adan Mohamed Salad was arrested while filming at Alanley Beach in the coastal town of Kismayo where a boat carrying khat cargo — a stimulant narcotic leaf recently banned by Somalia Federal Government due to the coronavirus outbreak— was offloaded. He was held for two hours at the police station before he was released without charge.

Radio Dhangadi reporter Nabaraj Dhanuk was allegedly attacked by an elected representative of a local area following a news broadcast about embezzlement allegedly committed by the politician. Supporters of the politician also picketed outside the radio station. The journalist had interviewed the politician about discrepencies in distribution of aid.

Croatian journalist Živana Šušak Živković from the Dalmatinski portal was attacked by a group of worshippers while reporting on an Easter Mass near the city of Split that was being held illegally despite the COVID-19 lockdown. She was among a small group of journalists reporting on the service being held against the orders of authorities. As Šušak Živković tried to film the event on her mobile phone, a man ran up to her, pushed her roughly and pinned her hand in the church door. She needed medical assistance after the incident.

Pawan Choudhary (30 years), a web journalist, was arrested in Munger in Bihar on the charges of spreading misinformation about death of COVID-19 patient through his social media account. He was sent to judicial custody in Munger jail.

Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai (34 years), a prominent journalist working for the Srinagar-based English daily, Kashmir Observer, was arrested and detained for two days while reporting about lockdown violations. The police filed an FIR and booked him under charges which included “violating the lockdown rules” and “interfering in the professional work of the officials”

Egyptian authorities blocked the website of Egyptian news outlet Darb, which is owned by the opposition Socialist Popular Movement Party. According to reports, the website was inaccessible on all internet providers in Egypt.

Police in the western city of Atyrau arrested journalist Beken Alirakhimov and cameraman Manas Sharipov of KTK TV as they were interviewing doctors and reporting on working conditions at a hospital in the city. The pair were charged with “violating the state of emergency” under Article 476 of the Administrative Code. They were found guilty on April 24 and were placed under forced quarantine for two weeks in hospital.

Ghanaian TV Africa journalist Samuel Adobah was badly beaten by a uniformed military officer while he was on assignment to report on the lockdown situation in the Ga Central Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. According to reports, he passed a first military checkpoint after showing the guard his press card. Minutes later, he was hit over the back of the head by another soldier and beaten while laying on the ground. Despite protests from people nearby that he was a journalist, the soldier continued to assault him and purposefully smashed his mobile phone before driving away.

Matthew Takaona, a former president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) and a consultant with The Mirror was arrested and detained without charge by Police in Masvingo today as he was assessing the effects of a Government order to reopen vegetable markets in the midst of the Covid 19 threat.

Freelance journalist halted by police in Harare on his way to report on country's COVID-19 lockdown. Reporter claims he was forced to lie down and beaten by officers who released him 15 minutes later.

Health Minister, Zlatibor Loncar, claimed “the corona[virus] entered some newsrooms” and that "the stance is to prevent the infection from spreading.” Journalists can send questions via email.

Kossev editor Tatjana Lazarevic arrested on Saturday for allegedly violating curfew. Lazarevic claimed she was on duty at the time. Authorities released later in the day.

Cambodia’s national assembly has passed a state of emergency law granting the country’s autocratic leader, Hun Sen, vast new powers to control and censor the country’s media. The new law, ostensibly aimed at tackling the spread of COVID-19, allows the regime to monitor communications, control media and social media, prohibit or restrict distribution of information that could generate public fear or unrest, or that could damage national security. Rights groups say the law contains broad and vague provisions that could be misused against critical media.

Jordanian security forces arrested the owner of Roya TV, Fares Sayegh and news director, Mohamad al-Khalidi, for airing a segment in which people from the poor neighbourhoods of the capital Amman criticized the government for the COVID-19 lockdown. The two TV executives will remain in detention for 14 days as ordered by the state security court.

Azerbaijani journalist Natig Izbatov was arrested by security forces over reporting on COVID-19 which criticized the authorities handling of the health crisis and the challenges faced by Azerbaijanis during the quarantine.

Liberty University, Virginia is pressing charges against Alec MacGillis, a reporter for ProPublica, and Julia Rendleman, a photographer for The New York Times, for allegedly entering the private campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. Both reported on the University allowing students to remain on campus, while all other universities have closed down to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Independent Media Authority of Zambia, a government controlled body, has cancelled the license of PrimeTV in the interest of public safety, security, peace and order. The order said that the TV channel can challenge it in the court. PrimeTV had refused to air government statements on COVID-19, and in retaliation the government had decided to ban the channel and cancel all advertising.

Five FIRs were registered against journalist Ashwani Saini in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. On 8 April 2020, Ashwani Saini, who contributes video reports for the Facebook page Mandi Live and freelances for Dainik Jagran, was booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act for reporting on the failure of the administration to supply rations to migrant workers in Himachal Pradesh.

Former Al-Wasat newspaper journalist Mahmood AlJazeeri, being held in prison in Bahrain, was moved to solitary confinement after a recent recording of him appeared on dissident-run media channel Bahrain Today3 discussing the Covid-19 situation in Bahrain's prisons. In the recording, he disputed reports that Bahraini authorities had taken measures to protect prisoners from the spread of the virus.

La Repubblica journalist Salvo Palazzolo has faced persistent threats after writing an article on April 8 about the mafia using the coronavirus crisis to increase his influence in certain districts of Palermo.

Five cases were registered by Himachal Pradesh police against Sundernagar-based Ashwani Saini, an independent reporter, including one case of alleged false news regarding people not getting rations, one case of moving in a vehicle without curfew pass and three cases of him allegedly entering brick kilns illegally and intimidating workers.

Beatific Ngumbwanda a journalist with TellZim weekly newspaper was on 8 April 2020 arrested by the police in Chiredzi who accused him of violating the lockdown regulations. Ngumbwanda was detained for almost two hours before the police subsequently decided to release him.

Uttar Pradesh Police lodged an FIR against Delhi-based journalist Prashant Kanojia for allegedly making ‘objectionable remarks’ about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media. The journalist was charged under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 505(1)(b), which deals with offences committed with the intention to cause fear or alarm among the public, or induce people against the state and the Information Technology Act.

TV journalist named Damodharan who shot visuals of a pharmacy staff handing out medicines to patients without a doctor’s consultation at the Minjur Primary Health Centre in Minjur in Tamil Nadu was branded a ‘fake journalist’ and arrested by the police.

Sovann Rithy, a journalist and director of online news outlet TVFB in Cambodia, was arrested in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh for reporting on Facebook about comments made by the Prime Minister Hun Sen during a press conference, in which he said the government could not financially support motorbike-taxi drivers if they went bankrupt. Rithy was detained for “incitement to cause chaos and harm social security” in his social media post, a crime which in Cambodia carries a prison sentence of between six months to two years and a fine of up to four million riel (€900).

Speaking on Fox News, Senator Ted Cruz accused the mainstream media in the United States of rooting for the pandemic to become worse. He attacked Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post Fact Checker Columnist calling him a moron.

Pawan Choudhary (30 years), a web journalist, was arrested in Munger in Bihar on the charges of spreading misinformation about death of COVID-19 patient through his social media account. He was sent to judicial custody in Munger jail.

Doraliz Torreón, a reporter for Mexican digital news outlet Paralelo Informativo, was attacked by a tourist in Jalisco, Mexico as she filmed people on the beach in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta. She was verbally and physically abused by two men while she was taking videos of the people on the beach.

Authorities in Puerto Rico have approved a new law which makes it illegal for media outlets or social media accounts “to transmit or allow the transmission” of “false information” with the intention of creating “confusion, panic, or public hysteria” about the government’s COVID-19 emergency measures and proclamations. The bill, which has bene approved by Puerto Rico’s Governor, imposes heavy fines for those found guilty.

Pawan Choudhary, a journalist in the Indian state of Bihar, was arrested by the police on the charge of spreading misinformation through his social media account. The journalist is lodged in prison pending court appearance.

Yussif Abdul Ganiyu, general manager of Zuria FM and a correspondent for DW’s Hausa programme, was reportedly verbally and physically assaulted by female army officer working with the team enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown. The officer told Ganiyu that his radio station had reported the misbehaviour of army officers.

A campus journalist from the University of the East (UE) was reportedly forced to issue a public apology on Sunday, April 5, after he wrote a Facebook post criticizing the government's efforts in handling the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Freelance journalist Panashe Makufa was beaten up by the police and forced to delete footage on his camera on April 4 in the Zimbabwean capital Harare. The journalist had gathered footage of a police operation to disperse people as part of their enforcement of the national lockdown.

The government of Uzbekistan has passed new legislative amendments which criminalize the disseminating of “false information” about the coronavirus with two years of correctional labour. Publishing "fake news" in the media risks up to three years in jail, heightening concerns that the laws will lead to further self-censorship of journalists.

The spokesman of Russia’s Defence Ministry sparked a press freedom row after he publicly criticized Italian newspaper La Stampa and issued a veiled threat against one of its reportesr over an article the newspaper published about coronavirus, leading to condemnation from Italian journalists and authorities.

Authorities in Moldova have tripled the amount of time public bodies have to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, from 30 days to 90, due to the coronavirus. Media have reported that requests to bodies such as the health ministry for public information have been outright refused. Journalists have criticised the disproportionate length of the extension. FOIs are a vital tool for journalists trying to cover COVID-19.

Hakan Aygun, a veteran Turkish journalist, has been arrested for inciting hatred with a social media post that belittled President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s campaign to raise funds for victims of the coronavirus outbreak. He was arrested in the southwestern province of Mugla.

Vietnam has passed a new law amidst the coronavirus outbreak which for the first time gives authorities powers to fine people for publishing or sharing what it deems to be “fake news” on social media. Authorities say the law is aimed at tackling both “falsehoods” related to the pandemic, but also wider forms of misinformation, worsening an already restrictive legal landscape for what remains of the country’s critical and independent media. The new rules, which will come into effect on April 15, will fine people who post or share “fake news” about COVID-19 between €390-€775.

The Scottish government weakened Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation during the coronavirus crisis. The move tripled the deadline for public bodies, including the government, to respond to requests from 20 days to 60 days, angering media and civil society groups.

A journalist and cameraman of the ZiK TV channel in Ukraine were insulted and attacked by a man as they filmed a report in the capital Kiev about the observance of restrictions imposed by the government to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

Nunurai Jena, a reporter for Newsday and Voice of America was arrested by the Zimbabwe police and is being detained at Chinhoyi police station for using a 2019 accreditation to report about the Covod-19 cases. The arrest took place despite Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services instructing the police to accept the 2019 accreditation cards.

David Musisi Karyankolo, a journalist working with Bukedde Television in Mukono district in Uganda, was assaulted inside his house by police officers for violating the restrictions on movement imposed by the government. He was admitted to the local hospital in a serious condition. Police have arrested one of their officers for ordering the attack on the journalist.

More than 60 journalists are currently being detained in different Egyptian prisons, which are overcrowded and have woefully inadequate medical facilities. Prisoners do not have access to medical care.

Uttar Pradesh Police in Faizabad registered an FIR against The Wire and its editor Siddharth Varadarajan[27], on the complaint of an individual under Sections 188 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for reporting that Chief Minister Adityanath had attended a public religious event in Ayodhya on March 25 after the Prime Minister had announced a national lockdown to deal with the coronavirus.

Journalist Fayia Amara of the Standard Times newspaper in Sierra Leone was allegedly beaten by a group of soldiers as he was reporting on new COVID-19 quarantine centre in the city of Kenema. The journalist said around nine soldiers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) started beating him after he used his mobile phone to take photos of the operations at the facility from a barricade outside. The soldiers allegedly hit him with their weapons and beat him on the ground. Amara was then arrested and himself charged with the assault of a local official at the scene.

Daily Monitor correspondent Perezi Rumanzi was assaulted by security personnel while covering a story on the lockdown in Ntungamo district. Another journalist, Dalton Iga, who works for Radio Simba in Mukono district, was injured in an attack by members of the local defence unit, gathering people's response to the lockdown.

Serbian journalist Ana Lalic of online news portal Nova.rs was arrested and detained overnight for “spreading panic” and damaging the reputation of a clinical centre in the city of Vojvodina after she wrote an article about the lack of basic protective COVID-19 equipment available to its medical workers. The charges were dropped on April 27.

A case has been registered by the police against the online publication The Wire in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly spreading hatred and animosity in the country by reporting about a religious event organized by the government amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The event was later cancelled.

Indian government urged the country's Supreme Court on April 1 to pass an order stating that no information should be released by the media about Covid-19 pandemic without first ascertaining factual position from the government. It was the first attempt the government to censor news about the pandemic, which failed as the court refused to pass such an order.

Officials of the Delta State Task Force on Environment attacked Michael Ikeogwu, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and Mathew Omonighoe, correspondent of the Daily Post, as they were covering the COVID-19 lockdown. The two journalists were in the Uvwie Local Government Area of the state to monitor the stay-at-home order by the government when they were stopped by the task force officials and assaulted. Omonighoe reportedly had his Nikon D3100 camera destroyed.

Russia has stepped up its efforts against so-called “fake news” about the coronavirus, approving fines of up to $25,000 and prison terms of up to five years for anyone who spreads what is deemed to be false information. Media outlets will be fined up to $127,000 if they disseminate disinformation about the outbreak.

Journalist Vishal Anand (49 years), who is associated with a national news channel, was accused of misrepresentation and booked by the local authorities in Dalhousie under Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh for using pictures of Gandhi Chowk in Dalhousie for a story on Covid-19 in Chamba district.

Reporters and the head of the journalist union in Serbia have criticized what they call the “covert censorship” of information relating to the COVID-19 outbreak and highlighted the challenges faced by journalists to accessing accurate and updated information.

Italian journalist Antonio Passanese of Corriere Fiorentino had his finger fractured when he was attacked by a young man while out on the streets reporting and interviewing citizens about the government’s lockdown measures in Florence. The young man, who worked for a food delivery service, insulted then kicked and punched journalist after he found out he worked for the media. Passanese required hospital treatment to reset the broken finger.

Correspondent of NTV in Mukono district of Uganda, Daniel Mwesigwa, was allegedly assaulted by the bodyguard of the RDC when he had gone there with other journalists to seek permission to continue work during the lockdown period.

Mary Ellen Klas, a journalist at the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times, was denied entry to the press briefing of Florida governor Ron DeSantis after she requested for social distancing to be observed during the briefing.

Iran’s Coronavirus Combat Taskforce issued an emergency decree which suspended all printing, delivery, and distribution of newspapers in the country, citing the need to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A trainee journalist, Tatenda Julius, working for Tungwe news in Zimbabwe was arrested by the police for covering the lockdown. He was taking photos when police nabbed him for working without accreditation. Efforts by the news outlet and MISA Zimbabwe failed to get him released

Mezopotamya News Agency correspondent Ahmet Kanbal faces a new investigation for reporting on COVID-19 positive children being held in the same hospital unit with other kids in Mardin Public Hospital.

Kurdish journalist, writer and activist Nurcan Baysal was summoned by the police on March 30 to testify for sharing prisoners' letters and two articles on the novel coronavirus pandemic. Baysal was released after giving her testimony.

A local journalist for the outlet Van Haberdar, Oktay Candemir, was called to testify for his social media posts on the spread of COVID-19 in the region. Candemir has been previously targeted by judicial authorities for his work, with 25 cases opened in the last 2 years.

Three FIRs were registered against Jagat Bains (34 years), a reporter with News18 Himachal, for his reporting on COVID-19 related issues including denial of ration to the migrant workers.

Police in Himachal Presh filed three cases against Jagat Bains, who reports for News 18 Himachal and BBN Real News, for his reporting about COVID-19. Two cases pertain to spot reports from labour settlements, where stranded labourers alleged inadequate rations. Third report showed CCTV footage of movement of vehicles, and alleged that they were illegally entering the state.

Journalists in Somaliland, a break-away region of Somalia, were told by the Vice President Abdirahman Abdullahi Seylici that anyone who reported a case of coronavirus before it was officially announced by the government was a “national criminal”. He also ordered media not to cover the coronavirus crisis “negatively” and to impart “government’s messaging only.”

Okello Denis, a production manager and sports analyst for Radio APAC was badly beaten by army officers in civilian dress who were driving out people from a bar in the area. The journalist was admitted to hospital with serious head injuries and returned home on April 2.

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have excluded 20 different independent media outlets from receiving special press passes which allow them exemption from lockdown rules, giving them instead only to state-run media.

The autocratic ex-Soviet nation of Turkmenistan led by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has banned the media from using the word “coronavirus.” People wearing face masks or talking about the coronavirus are also liable to be arrested by plainclothes police.

A senior journalist, Kudzanai Musengi, was detained in the Gweru Central Business District as he went to cover the lockdown. The detention took place despite clear instructions from the government that all accreditation has been extended. MISA Zimbabwe intervened get the journalist released.

MPs voted to pass new legislation handing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sweeping new powers to rule by decree and tighten his control over the country’s media amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law criminalizes the spreading of misinformation deemed to undermine the authorities’ fight against the COVID-19 virus with fines and up to five years in prison

Police in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh registered a case against a journalist for falsely reporting on his social media account that buses were being sent to pick up stranded people

Three FIRs were registered against journalist Om Sharma (38 years), a reporter for Divya Himachal, for his reporting on the COVID-19 related issues.

Three FIRs were registered against journalist Om Sharma (38 years), a reporter for Divya Himachal, for his reporting on the COVID-19 related issues.

In Baddi district of Himachal Pradesh, Police filed three cases against journalist Om Sharma. Two cases were for his social media posts and one for a video on the impact of COVID-19 restrictions

Journalists in El Salvador complained about police pressure and intimidation after an officer from the National Civil Police (PNC) tried to secretly film reporters who were interviewing nurses at in the capital San Salvador about the lack of personal protective equipment provided to staff during the pandemic.

Ralph Zapata, regional editor of OjoPúblico, was detained by police in the town of Piura after being accused of violating the coronavirus lockdown. Zapata was coordinating the outlet’s regional coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both he and his employer deny the allegations.

Police registered a case against a journalist for attending the press conference on March 20 of the then chief Minister of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, two days after the journalist's daughter had returned from the UK. A few days later the journalist and his daughter tested positive for Covid-19.

A TV cameraman working for Weru TV was attacked by three policemen as he covered government officials enforcing social distancing at Mitunguu market, Imenti South, Meru County. Police officials asked the journalist to delete the footage.

Egypt’s media council has ramped up its efforts to censor information, block websites and prosecute social media users as part of its efforts to tackle what it deems to be “fake news” over the Covid-19 pandemic – sparking fears from journalists over a widening crackdown on independent media.

FIR was lodged against journalist K K Saxena for having attended then Congress leader Kamal Nath last press conference as Chief Minister on 20 March despite her daughter being coronavirus suspect. The journalist was booked under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life).

Police in the Philippines filed a criminal complaint against journalists Mario Batuigas, owner of the Latigo News TV news portal and Amor Virata, an independent reporter, for allegedly spreading “fake” reports on a COVID-19 case.

A TV cameraman of Nation Media Group was assaulted by police officials in the Coast Region of Kenya, while covering police action against the residents after the announcement of lockdown in Kenya. The local police chief later apologized for the attack.

President Duterte's emergency regulations are preventing independent media from covering official briefings on Covid-19 in the country. Only official media are allowed to attend the briefings. Independent media can join through video conferencing and submit their questions to the moderator before the briefing starts. This effectively bars independent media from seeking clarifications after the briefing.

Varanasi District Magistrate (DM), Kaushal Raj Sharma issued a notice to journalist Vijay Vineet and his editor-in-chief Subhash Rai after the Jansandesh Times published a report claiming that members of the Musahar community (Dalit) were eating grass to survive at Koiripur village in Varanasi district ever since the lockdown was announced.

Aly Mahamat Bello, a reporter for publicly owned TV channel Télé Tchad, and his cameraman, Abakar Mahamad Seid, were assaulted, detained and interrogated for hours by police while covering authorities’ enforcement of Covid-19 measures.

Richard Odongo, who works for Radio Wa in Oyam district was assaulted by the local authorities while covering the presidential directive on social distancing.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused the media of siding with China. He made the remarks at the White House daily Covid-19 Task Force briefing on Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused the media of trying to keep the U.S. economy shuttered during the Covid-19 pandemic to hinder his re-election in the November presidential election.

A journalist and a cameraperson with KTV station in Zrenjanin, Serbia, were arrested and held behind bars for one day after allegedly refusing to get disinfected when they were about to question local authorities at an administrative building. According to the journalists, they were wearing the proper masks and gloves at the time and were ejected by security in order to keep them away from a local mayor they wanted to interview

The Guardian journalist Ruth Michaelson was forced by the Egyptian authorities to leave the country. Michaelson's credentials were revoked on March 17, after she wrote a story about the possible spread of Covid-19 in the country. The government had asked The Guardian to retract the story or publish an apology.

A DW reporter, Salma Said, was threatened with punitive action by authorities for reporting about the spread of COVID-19 in Zanzibar

Seven journalists were injured when police assaulted them at a security checkpoint in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh

Uttkarsh Chaturvedi, Deputy News Editor with ET Now, a leading business news channel, alleged that he was beaten up by policemen while reporting on lockdown in Thane district, Maharashtra.

The Government of El Salvador has on multiple occasions prohibited journalists from different media outlets from asking any questions during press conferences held by government health officials.

The prime minister of Thailand announced declared a state of emergency in the country until April 30. The declaration allows the government to shut down media outlets accused of spreading "fake news".

Melquiades Avila, an indigenous leader and journalist in the remote Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro, has gone into hiding following threats of arrest made by the Maduro administration after he questioned the government's ability to deal with Covid-19 in the country

A female journalist from NewsOne TV channel in Ukraine was assaulted during a journalistic investigation into the illegal selling of protective coronavirus masks in the city of Krasiyliv. She was injured and needed treatment on her hand.

Journalists covering a Covid-19 story were assaulted in Trinidad and Tobago. V6 video journalist Cindy Raghubar-Teekasingh and Che Teekasingh were in a car park recording footage of a Covid-19 screening area when they were accosted by guards.

Oman has ordered stopping the printing of newspapers, magazines and publications of all kinds and preventing their circulation as a measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Authorities in Iran have swiftly and aggressively pushed ahead to silence independent reporting on the Covid-19 epidemic by harassing, detaining and censoring journalists and social media users. In at least one case, a journalist was forced to retract comments made on social media.

Turkey journalist Tugay Can is accused of "creating fear and panic amongst public" over Covid-19 news coverage.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte today signed a bill that gives him special powers. These powers include imposing prison sentence of two months or a maximum fine of approximately US $ 19,500 for spreading "fake news" about Covid-19.

Navin Kumar, a journalist working for Aaj Tak, a leading TV network in India, was assaulted by police officers while he was on his way to work in the capital New Delhi on March 24. Kumar said that his identity card and car keys were snatched from him and he was forced into a police vehicle

Security forces arbitrarily detained the journalist Yarnaldo Tovar, from the 360 Grados Internacional media, as he was making a report on the COVID-19 at the Coche Peripheral Hospital. The journalist was released that same night.

Kaka Touda, an independent journalist who publishes news reports on his Facebook and Twitter pages, In Niger’s capital Niamey, was arrested for his social media post about a suspected Coronavirus case in a local hospital, which filed a complaint against him. The hospital said in the complaint that the March 4 social media post posed a threat to law and order

A TV journalist in El Salvador was threatened and forced by two members of the armed forces to delete photographs he had taken of the construction of a new provisional hospital to serve patients with COVID-19.

Dragos Vicol, president of Moldova’s Audiovisual Council, the country’s chief media regulatory body, issued a decree ordering media in Moldova to refrain from printing or broadcasting ‘opinion’ and to convey only the position of authorities during a state of emergency imposed to aid the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The order was met with a storm of criticism from journalists and media associations

The government of the north-eastern state of Parimbo in Brazil has introduced fines of up to R$10,000 (€1770) for anyone sharing “false news” about the new coronavirus pandemic

The Romanian government has passed a number of emergency decrees that effect freedom of expression and access to information and allow authorities to issue take-down orders on articles and websites accused of spreading “false information” about the pandemic

Journalists and health professionals were assaulted by the police who were manning barricades to prevent people from leaving their homes as part of the curfew imposed by the State Government

A photojournalist working for Italian newspaper La Stampa was surrounded by a crowd of people, harassed and had his SD card stolen while documenting a protest over coronavirus restrictions at a local market in Turin

The director of the newspaper La Verdad de Vargas, Beatriz Rodríguez, was summoned to the Prosecutor's Office two times to give statements about the COVID-19 report published on the portal. The Venezuelan Syndicate for Journalists said she was asked to reveal her sources.

Journalist threatened by a private construction company worker for filming violation of curfew

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued a Provisional Measure that suspends deadlines for requests made via the country’s Access to Information Law (LAI) due to the extreme circumstances of the coronavirus. The Supreme Federal Court (STF) suspended the amendment

A reporting crew from TV station Red Bolivisión reported being verbally harassed and blocked from leaving an indoor market by shopkeepers who they had filmed breaching quarantine rules. The journalists were only released after police arrived

CNN Turkey barred its field reporters from entering the newsroom building to "limit" interactions amid COVID19

Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina introduced punitive new measures against spreading panic and "fake news" regarding the coronavirus outbreak, in a move that could impede the free work of journalists and their ability to report on the pandemic

The Armenian government ordered 22 different media outlets to remove or edit what it considers to be misleading or incorrect information about the coronavirus

From March 23, the Greek Ministry of Health made the decision to block access of journalists to top public health and medical officials, citing public health safety reasons. Off limits to media were the spokesman of Sotiris Tsiodras, the pathologist physician put in charge of Greece's management of COVID-19, and all deputy ministers of Civil Protection and Health. Journalists were also told they could only one question per week to the health ministry’s press office. This was to be submitted in writing and read out on air, giving media no chance to clarify or respond to answers.

Two journalists working for the Livorno edition of Italian newspaper Il Tirreno were insulted and threatened with a metal rod by newsagent after they tried to interview him in his kiosk about life under coronavirus measures

Officials from the Autonomous Institute of the Sucre State Police (IAPES) prevented Crónica Uno journalist, Mónica Salazar, from going to the Antonio Patricio de Alcalá University Hospital, in Cumaná where a press conference was held to report.

The crew was punched and kicked by two people as they interviewed citizens buying food

All newspaper printing was suspended indefinitely in Morocco by the country’s Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, which oversees the press. Media outlets operations were ordered to suspend operations “until further notice” and banned from printing and distributing papers.

President Jair Bolsonaro has deepened his attack on the media by accusing the press of purposefully “tricking” citizens about the dangers of coronavirus and purposefully amplifying protests in a bid to topple his government

Journalist Tholi Totali Glody working for Alfajri TV in DRC sustained multiple physical injuries when he was run over by a police vehicle while reporting on Covid-19 cases in Likasi

Police allegedly asked journalist to reveal sources on recent article about statistics on number of COVID-19 cases in his region

Ismet Çiğit, news director of the website Kocaeli Ses, was detained at his home near Istanbul after publishing an article headlined, “Two coronavirus-linked deaths in Derince hospital.” The editor, Güngör Arslan, was also detained and spent the night in the police station due to being charge of publishing the article online. Mesut Akbulut, the editor of the Kocaeli newspaper, was briefly detained two days before that for mentioning another coronavirus case in the city. All journalists were released after interrogation.

Several Russian media outlets faced penalties after federal regulators invoked the nation’s newly enacted law against “fake news” to censor reports about the coronavirus pandemic

The Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) has used emergency laws to order internet providers to block access to 52 different websites that allegedly disseminate fake news about the coronavirus pandemic, heightening concerns that censorship measures could extend to target critical media

Journalists Mustafa Ahmet Oktay and Eren Sarıkaya from Bartın-based Halk Newspaper and Pusula Newspaper were taken into custody over a report published about the spread of COVID-19

Police officers in Mogadishu’s Bondhere district briefly detained and harassed Somali Cable TV reporter, Abdullahi Farah Nur, and slapped his cameraman Abdirahman Omar on the face, while both were collecting vox-pops on the shortage of masks and gloves in the local markets due to the panic of Covid-19 pandemic. The pair was detained but then released without any charge.

Independent media claim that official briefings on COVID-19 outbreak are accessible to only those media outlets that are owned by the President Daniel Ortega’s family

On March 18, the Press Information Service of Egypt announced that it had withdrawn the accreditation of Michaelson following a report in The Guardian that it claimed did not meet the required journalistic standards

A statement issued by the Chinese foreign ministry said that the decision to expel journalists with U.S. citizenship working for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal was in response to the U.S. government’s “outrageous” action in December 2018 to designate Chinese media outlets as foreign missions and in February this year to impose a limit on their number of employees

CAN TV, a web based broadcast promoted by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó to inform people about the COVID-19 situation was blocked through HTTP and HTTPS blocking by the government.

Governor of Falcón state, Víctor Clark, threatened the La Mañana newspaper with legal action and accused them of being terrorists. He also said that the media encouraged the violating of quarantine. “If the Diario La Mañana wants to act like a political agent to discount the legitimate measures by the government to prevent the pandemic, let them see the consequences,” said Clark in a regional radio broadcast..

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the national parliament of Azerbaijan amended the law on information to allow authorities to prosecute the owners of online media for publishing any "inaccurate" or "dangerous" content. The vaguely worded law raised concerns it would open the door to increased censorship.

The Jordanian Council of Ministers suspended the publication of all newspapers in the country for a two-week period in attempt to halt the spread the of the virus.

Jordan’s King Abdullah approved an emergency “defense law” which hands Prime Minister Omar Razzaz sweeping powers to enforce a state of emergency and “deal firmly” with anyone who spreads “rumours, fabrications and false news that sows panic” about COVID-19. The law does not appear to have time limits

Venezuelan journalist César Saavedra, reporter for Qué Pasa, was intimidated and photographed by agents of PoliChacao when covering the closing down of a commercial location selling masks. The agents yelled at Saavedra and photographed his credentials. .

In Venezuela, Municipal Caracas Police detained reporters Riadna García and Tairy Gamboa as well as Yorvin González and Yonathan Torres, from Cronica Uno, while travelling through Catia. The alleged reason for the arrest was for violating quarantine.

A GNB official threatened and forced the correspondent of the media outlet Factores De Poder, Sofía Torres, to erase all the material that she had recorded while covering lockdown measures in Caracas during the quarantine.

Chacao Police officials harassed a cameraman of the Centro de Noticias Venezuela (CNVE24), César Saavedra. They asked him to not record, photographed him and asked for his identification while he was covering the closing down of the shop selling masks and gloves.

Two journalists, working for Crónica Uno, Ariadna García and Tairy Gamboa, were arrested by police in Caracas while reporting on the COVID-19 quarantine. Both were forced by officials to delete the collected material because "they could misrepresent the information in a delicate situation". Both were later released.

Officials of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) prohibited Mariana De Barros, a journalist working for VivoPlay and TV Venezuela media, from travelling via car to report from Caracas despite the fact that she showed her card and a video in which Vladimir Padrino López exempts the press from lockdown measures.

Venzuelan reporters Jesús Torres and Jesús Manuel Castillo for Radio La Cima 96.7 FM were summoned and detained at the headquarters of CICPC after publishing a video about two positive COVID-19 cases in Hospital Victorino Santaella.

Slovenian investigative journalist Blaž Zgaga received threats after he was targeted in a smear article by news portal and TV station Nova24TV for submitting a detailed request for information to the government about its handling of the COVID-19 crisis and its establishment of a now dismantled “crisis headquarters”

Jesús Torres and Jesús Manuel Castillo, reporters for Radio La Cima 96.7 FM, were detained in the station’s headquarters by agents of the Special Forces (FAES) of the National Bolivarian Police (PNB),The reporters where detained after posting a video, which went viral, in which they discussed supposed COVID-19 cases in the Miranda hospital. They then filmed a second video apologising for giving information about the pandemic that had not been confirmed by the government.

Lizeta Hernández, governor of the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro, told the commander of ZODI to subpoena Melquiades Ávila, reporter for El Pitazo, for her posts on Facebook related to COVID-19. Hernandez said that Ávila was trying to politicize the health crisis.

Delta Amacuro state governor, Lizeta Hernández, ordered the chief of the Comprehensive Defense Operational Zone (ZODI) to detain a correspondent of El Pitazo, Melquiades Ávila, regarding article she wrote about the weakness of the state's health system during the pandemic.

Judicial police in Niger summoned the editor-in-chief and a journalist of Television Labari, following an article the outlet published which interviewed a prominent veterinarian about the COVID-19 pandemic.

VPI TV correspondent in Anzoátegui, José Alberto Ramírez was filmed by a SEBIN agent he was reporting from outside the Luis Razetti hospital after the announcement of meausres to control COVID-19 by President Nicolas Maduro

The editor of the news website Haberimizvar.net (News for You), Idris Özyol, and one of his reporters, Ebru Küçükaydin, were detained in the middle of the night in the southern province of Antalya and then taken before the local prosecutor’s office because of an article about a coronavirus case in Demre, one of the province’s towns. The article was subsequently deleted from the site. Both journalists were released after interrogation.

An officer from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) recorded without authorisation José Ramírez, the correspondent of VPI TV while he was conducting interviews at the pharmacy of the Luis Razetti Hospital in Barcelona, Anzoátegui state.

As part of its state of emergency to tackle COVID-19, the Spanish government suspense deadlines for public bodies to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Access to publicly held information is a key tool for journalists reporting on the pandemic. On April 23, 31 different Spanish civil society organisations, all members of the Coalición Pro Acceso, called on the government to guarantee journalist’s right access to information.

Prime Minister Edi Rama sent the citizens an intrusive voice message through Vodafone advising people to wash their hands against coronavirus and “protect themselves from the media”

Dhaval Patel, owner and editor of the Gujarati news portal “Face of Nation”, was detained and charged with sedition for writing an article about the possibility of leadership change in Gujarat due to an increasing number of coronavirus cases in the state. Patel was charged under Section 124 A (Sedition) of the Indian Penal Code and Disaster Management Act Section 54 (spreading false panic).

During the pandemic, the Chinese government ramped up online censorship of information about COVID-19, suppressing “unofficial” media reporting, blocking critical discussion on social media and taking down investigative stories.

Li Zehua is one of three citizen journalists missing and presumably detained by authorities in China for livestreaming and posting social media updates about the truth of life under coronavirus and government restrictions in China

Journalist Mohammad Mosaed arrested and detained by Iranian security forces after he criticized the state's response to the coronavirus outbreak on social media. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps interrogated Mosaed after he published a series of tweets accusing the government of failing to prepare for an outbreak. He was ordered not to conduct any interviews with media outlets about his detention.

In Aragua state, a journalist working for Crónica Uno, Gregoria Díaz, was threatened by local police after reporting on a possible positive case of COVID-19 in this state.

According to reports, the expulsion is a response to an opinion piece published by the Journal on February 3. The article, which was entitled “China is the real sick man of Asia” and written by an American professor, criticized China’s response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak

The two citizen journalists, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, who had been reporting from Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, went missing earlier this month.

Award winning journalist Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias was charged with three counts of causing public fear or alarm over her social media posts on the coronavirus outbreak