Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has included the names of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada and US President Donald Trump on a list of 33 individuals and organisations accused of restricting press freedom in 2026.
The organisation published its annual report on November 2, marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The report identifies political leaders, government institutions, criminal groups and technology companies as entities responsible for undermining press freedom.
In the political category, Hibatullah Akhundzada is listed alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and US President Donald Trump.
RSF has condemned the Taliban’s policies in Afghanistan, saying they have restricted the activities of independent media outlets and subjected journalists to widespread restrictions and pressure.
The organisation has also criticised the Trump administration, stating that journalists’ access to US government institutions and decision-making centres has been restricted. According to the report, the United States ranks 64th in the World Press Freedom Index.
In the security category, the Israeli military and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have also been cited over their treatment of journalists and media organisations in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
The Chinese Communist Party has been included for imprisoning journalists, Mexican drug trafficking groups for murdering journalists, and the ruling military juntas in Burkina Faso and Guinea for restricting media activities.
The Saudi government, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the March 23 Movement (M23), an armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have also been named in the report’s security category.
Thibaut Bruttin, Director-General of Reporters Without Borders, said that the individuals and organisations named in the list restrict independent media through physical and verbal violence, judicial and economic pressure, and information manipulation, thereby preventing the public from accessing information freely.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
