Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee were again named on Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) Press Freedom Predators List, with the nonprofit accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of using national security as a pretext to suppress independent journalism.
RSF released its 2026 list on Nov. 2, marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The organization said the CCP uses methods including attacking, imprisoning, and killing journalists to restrict press freedom under the banner of security.
It reported that 111 journalists are detained in China, making the country the world’s largest jailer of journalists.
Xi has appeared on the list repeatedly since the year after he took office in 2013, and this year marks at least his sixth inclusion, according to RSF.
Lee, meanwhile, was named for the second consecutive year. RSF classified him among those who use the judicial system to harass and suppress journalists.
Hong Kong’s Press Freedom Deteriorates
RSF said Lee has sought to bring Hong Kong’s governance increasingly in line with Beijing’s model since becoming chief executive in 2022. The organization pointed to the implementation of Beijing’s stringent National Security Law for Hong Kong and the subsequent enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance under Article 23 of the city’s Basic Law.
Hong Kong’s position in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index has fallen sharply, dropping from 18th in 2002 to 80th in 2021 and 140th in 2026. The city has ranked in the index’s worst category, “very serious,” for two consecutive years, alongside China and Iran.
RSF List Aims to Expose Abuses
Thibaut Bruttin, RSF’s director-general, said the Press Freedom Predators List is based on the organization’s World Press Freedom Index. RSF also compiles profiles of those named to illustrate the methods they use to suppress journalism.
The aim, Bruttin said, is to expose the severe attacks and violations committed against the press by the individuals and organizations on the list.
RSF also noted that several figures included in its 2025 list had since experienced dramatic political reversals. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.–Israeli airstrike in February. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was arrested during a U.S. raid in January and is currently in federal prison awaiting trial, while Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic lost elections and is expected to move away from the centers of political power.
The developments, RSF said, demonstrate that when citizens are given opportunities to make their voices heard, they can ultimately hold those who violate civil liberties accountable.
