Cough, Don't Talk

Countries criminalize reporting on the pandemic in the name of preventing “fake news.”

CAMBODIA: Over 30 people, including both opposition leaders and journalists, have been arrested for spreading what the government calls "fake news" about the virus.

EGYPT: Officials detained one journalist for talking with the mother of a jailed activist who was trying to bring hand sanitizer to her son. Another journalist found himself accused of terrorism after asking questions about the virus.

ETHIOPIA: Officials arrested a journalist after he posted about the government's pandemic preparations. They held him for over three weeks without a formal charge. 

HUNGARY: The government now threatens a prison sentence of up to five years for spreading false information. 

JORDAN: "Causing panic" about the pandemic is now punishable by up to three years in prison. 

SOUTH AFRICA: On March 18, the country passed a new law, threatening jail time for “disinformation” about the virus.

THAILAND: The country's Anti-Fake News Centers have new targets: critics of the government's coronavirus response. 

TUNISIA: Two bloggers In Tunisia posted videos about Tunisians suffering from the economic consequences of lockdown. They were detained for "causing disturbances to the public." 

TURKEY: Authorities have targeted doctors for giving interviews about Covid-19 response. 

VENEZUELA: Special forces detained a journalist after he tweeted about the virus in the state of Miranda. They claimed they had received an anonymous tip: He, too, had Covid-19, and therefore had to accompany them to headquarters.