From Aliyev to Meta and Elon Musk: RSF unveils its list of “predators of press freedom”

To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is profiling 33 “press freedom predators” who targeted journalists and media outlets in 2026.

What do they have in common? A hatred of press freedom. Their weapons may differ, but their goals are the same: to silence independent voices and trample on the right to information. Their methods to muzzle the press include assassinations, imprisonments, propaganda and troll armies. This tongue-in-cheek awards list highlights the diversity and brutality of the tactics used to stifle journalism.

The “Predators of Press Freedom” have been classified into several categories: politics, security forces, law, business and society.

The political category includes leaders such as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

In the security forces category, the list of “predators” includes the Israel Defense Forces, the Chinese Communist Party, Burkina Faso’s military junta, and others.

In the legal category, those accused of suppressing the press include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Among those accused of silencing the press through economic means are Alphabet and Meta, as well as former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, among others.

In the societal category, the figures labelled as “predators” include media executive Margarita Simonyan and businessman Elon Musk.