Press freedom predator is an anti-award distributed every few years by Reporters Without Borders. It is attributed to heads of state or groups who are deemed to have a negative effect on press freedom.
Recipients often vehemently deny that they deserve their place on the list. In 2020, Reporters Without Borders also released a list of 20 press freedom's digital predators.
2025 In November 2025, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes: Image Name Country Role Adani Group Multinational conglomerate Alden Global Capital Hedge fund / media owner Aleksandar Vučić President of Serbia (2017–present) Alexander Lukashenko President of Belarus (1994–present) Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026) Alphabet Inc. Technology company Bidzina Ivanishvili Businessman, Prime Minister of Georgia (2012-2013) Brendan Carr Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (2025–present) Chinese Communist Party Ruling political party Daniel Ortega President of Nicaragua (2007–present) Elon Musk Businessman, CEO of X/Tesla/SpaceX Foundation Against Terrorism Political/legal organization Haibatullah Akhundzada Supreme Leader of Afghanistan (2021–present) HonestReporting Media watchdog organization Ilham Aliyev President of Azerbaijan (2003–present) Israel Defense Forces Military of Israel Jalisco New Generation Cartel Criminal organization Javier Milei President of Argentina (2023–present) John Lee Ka-chiu () Chief Executive of Hong Kong (2022–present) Margarita Simonyan Editor-in-chief of Russia Today Meta Platforms Technology company Mohammed bin Salman Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2017-present) Nicolás Maduro President of Venezuela (2013–2026) OpIndia Far-right news and media website Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration Ruling military government (2022-present) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President of Turkey (2014–present) Robert Fico Prime Minister of Slovakia (2006–2010, 2012–2018, 2023–present) Roskomnadzor Federal media regulator Seng Heang Prosecutor / government official State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) Advisory election coordination body (2025–2026) to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military ruler from 2021
Min Aung Hlaing was the country's sole military ruler starting in 2021. RWB and some analysts such as the Stimson Center considered the SSPC to be the principal organ of Min Aung Hlaing's control from 2025–2026, though he was the sole decision-maker from 2021 regardless of cosmetic structural changes. During the SSPC period, he governed as the acting president of Myanmar by chairing the National Defence and Security Council, through which he took all binding government actions, including the formation of the SSPC itself.
Min Aung Hlaing was named personally as the predator in , and, although RWB chose to name the SSPC, one of his administrative bodies, as the predator in 2025 instead, Min Aung Hlaing's personal control over the government strengthened greatly in the years following his designation in 2021. His State Administration Council from 2021–2025 had nominal governing powers, despite being under his full control; the SSPC lacked even nominal governing power and its labeled purpose was "coordination" of the 2025–26 Myanmar general election, with laws continuing to be passed through the NDSC. Vincent Bolloré Businessman, media owner Viktor Orbán Prime Minister of Hungary (2010–2026) Vladimir Putin President of Russia (2012–present)Prime Minister of Russia (2008–2012) Vladimir Tabak Government communications official and ally of Vladimir Putin William Ruto President of Kenya (2022–present)
2021 In July 2021, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes: Image Name Country RoleAbdel Fattah el-SisiPresident of Egypt (2014–present)Alexander LukashenkoPresident of Belarus (1994–present)Ali KhameneiSupreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026)Bashar al-AssadPresident of Syria (2000–2024)Carrie Lam()Chief Executive of Hong Kong (2017–2022)Daniel OrtegaPresident of Nicaragua (1979–1990 and 2007–present)Emomali RahmonPresident of Tajikistan (1994–present)Gotabaya RajapaksaPresident of Sri Lanka (2019–2022)Secretary to the Ministry of Defence (2005–2015)Gurbanguly BerdimuhammedovPresident of Turkmenistan (2007–2022)Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan (2021–present)Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKing of Bahrain (2002–present)Hun SenPrime Minister of Cambodia (1998–2023)President of the Senate (2024–present)Ilham AliyevPresident of Azerbaijan (2003–present)Imran KhanPrime Minister of Pakistan (2018–2022)Isaias AfwerkiPresident of Eritrea (1993–present)Ismaïl Omar GuellehPresident of Djibouti (1999–present)Jair BolsonaroPresident of Brazil (2019–2022)Kim Jong-unSupreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)Lee Hsien LoongPrime Minister of Singapore (2004–2024)Senior Minister of Singapore (2024-present)Miguel Díaz-CanelFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2021–present)President of Cuba (2019–present)Min Aung HlaingChairman of the State Administration Council (2021–2025) was the key role in the 2021 report Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services (2011–2026) role led report to label him retroactively from 2011Mohammed bin SalmanCrown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2017–present)Minister of Defense (2015–present)Narendra ModiPrime Minister of India (2014–present)Nguyễn Phú TrọngGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–2024)President of Vietnam (2018–2021)Nicolás MaduroPresident of Venezuela (2013–present)Paul BiyaPresident of Cameroon (1982–present)Paul KagamePresident of Rwanda (2000–present)Prayut Chan-o-chaPrime Minister of Thailand (2014–2023)Minister of Defence (2019–2023)Ramzan Kadyrov()Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)Recep Tayyip ErdoğanPresident of Turkey (2014–present)Prime Minister of Turkey (2003–2014)Rodrigo DutertePresident of the Philippines (2016–2020)Salva Kiir MayarditPresident of South Sudan (2011–present)Sheikh HasinaPrime Minister of Bangladesh (1996–2001 and 2009–2024)Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoPresident of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)Viktor OrbánPrime Minister of Hungary (1998–2002 and 2010–present)Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia (2000–2008 and 2012–present)Prime Minister of Russia (2008–2012)Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)President of China (2013–present)Yoweri MuseveniPresident of Uganda (1986–present)
2016 In October 2016, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes: Image Name Country RoleAbdel Fattah el-SisiPresident of Egypt (2014–present)Al-ShabaabIslamic insurgence group active in East AfricaAlexander LukashenkoPresident of Belarus (1994–present)Ali KhameneiSupreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026)Ansar AllahAn Islamist political and armed movement in YemenAnsarullah Bangla TeamAn Islamic Jihadi organization in BangladeshBashar al-AssadPresident of Syria (2000–2024)Gurbanguly BerdimuhammedovPresident of Turkmenistan (2007–2022)Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKing of Bahrain (2002–present)Ilham AliyevPresident of Azerbaijan (2003–present)Isaias AfwerkiPresident of Eritrea (1993–present)Islamic StateMilitant Islamist group and former unrecognized quasi-stateJoseph KabilaPresident of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001–2019)Kim Jong-unSupreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)Lee Hsien LoongPrime Minister of Singapore (2004–present)Los ZetasMexican criminal syndicate Nguyễn Phú TrọngGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–2024)President of Vietnam (2018–2021)Nicolás MaduroPresident of Venezuela (2013–present)Nursultan NazarbayevPresident of Kazakhstan (1991–2019)Omar al-BashirPresident of Sudan (1993–2019)Inter-Services IntelligencePakistan's intelligence agencyPaul KagamePresident of Rwanda (2000–present)Pierre NkurunzizaPresident of Burundi (2005–2020)Prayut Chan-o-chaPrime Minister of Thailand (2014–2023)Minister of Defence (2019–2023)Ramzan Kadyrov()Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)Raúl CastroFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011–2021)President of the Council of State (2008–2018)Recep Tayyip ErdoğanPresident of Turkey (2014–present)Prime Minister of Turkey (2003–2014)Robert MugabePresident of Zimbabwe (1987–2017)Salman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudKing of Saudi Arabia (2015–present)Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2012–2015)Minister of Defence (2011–2015)Salva Kiir MayarditPresident of South Sudan (2011–present)TalibanIslamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, and jihadist political movement in AfghanistanTeodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoPresident of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia (2000–2008 and 2012–present)Prime Minister of Russia (2008–2012)Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)President of China (2013–present)Yahya JammehPresident of the Gambia (1996–2017)
2013 In May 2013, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:
Africa Image Name Country RoleAl-ShabaabIslamic insurgence group active in East AfricaBoko HaramAn Islamic terrorist organization based in northeastern NigeriaHizbul IslamSomali Islamist groupIsaias AfwerkiPresident of Eritrea (1993–present)Mswati IIIKing of Eswatini (1986–present)Paul KagamePresident of Rwanda (2000–present)Robert MugabePresident of Zimbabwe (1987–2017)Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoPresident of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)Yahya JammehPresident of the Gambia (1996–2017)
Americas Image Name Country RoleDario Antonio ÚsugaLeader of the drug trafficking group Clan del GolfoLos ZetasMexican criminal syndicateMiguel Facussé BarjumHonduran businessman and landownerMiguel Treviño MoralesMexican drug lordRaúl CastroFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011–2021)President of the Council of State (2008–2018)
Asia Image Name Country RoleAbdullah bin Abdulaziz Al SaudKing of Saudi Arabia (2005–2015)Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (2005–2015) Ahmed al-SharaaCommander-in-chief of Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)Emir of the Al-Nusra Front (2012–2017)Ali KhameneiSupreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026)Balochistan Liberation ArmyA militant group waging a violent armed struggle against Pakistan for what it claims as self-determination for the Baloch people and separation of Balochistan from Pakistan.Bashar al-AssadPresident of Syria (2000–2024)Choummaly SayasoneGeneral Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (2006–2016)President of Laos (2006–2016)Gotabaya RajapaksaPresident of Sri Lanka (2019–2022)Secretary to the Ministry of Defence (2005–2015)Gurbanguly BerdimuhammedovPresident of Turkmenistan (2007–2022)Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKing of Bahrain (2002–present)Ilham AliyevPresident of Azerbaijan (2003–present)Inter-Services IntelligencePakistan's intelligence agencyIslam KarimovPresident of Uzbekistan (1991–2016)Israel Defence ForcesMilitary forces of the State of IsraelKim Jong-unSupreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)Leaders and members of extremist religious groupsMahinda RajapaksaPresident of Sri Lanka (2005–2015)Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (2004–2005, 2018 and 2019–2022)Mahmoud AhmadinejadPresident of Iran (2005–2013)Mullah OmarFounder and Supreme Leader of the Taliban (1994–2013)Designated in as Supreme Leader of Afghanistan (1996–2001)Muslim BrotherhoodA transnational Sunni Islamist organizationNguyễn Phú TrọngGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–2024)President of Vietnam (2018–2021)Nursultan NazarbayevPresident of Kazakhstan (1991–2019)Private militiasVasif Talibov(Azerbaijan)Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (1993–present)Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)President of China (2013–present)
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