In its final statement, Novaya Gazeta accused the “repressive state apparatus” of a “coordinated act” against the publication. The paper claimed that human rights and freedoms have been eliminated in Russia and that the courts and law have been destroyed. It stated that having convictions is now considered state treason by the authorities. The organization noted that six journalists connected to the paper have been killed over time for fulfilling their professional and civic duties, including Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead 20 years ago this month.
The newspaper’s license had already been revoked by Russian authorities, and access to its website was blocked. Several journalists and contributors were designated as “foreign agents,” a label used by the state to punish critics. Earlier this year, police searched the editorial office, and veteran investigative journalist Oleg Roldugin was arrested and charged with “unlawful access to computerised information.” The paper’s editor-in-chief, Sergei Sokolov, was recently taken in for police questioning and his home was searched. Despite these pressures, the paper had continued operating in a reduced form, with readers using virtual private networks to access its content.
The pressure on independent media has intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Following the start of what the Kremlin terms a “special military operation,” new laws were adopted to punish dissent and silence criticism of the war and those in power. Dmitry Muratov, a founder of Novaya Gazeta in the 1990s and its former chief editor, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. In 2023, the authorities declared Muratov a “foreign agent.” Staff at the Novaya Gazeta offices have begun packing, signaling the end of an era for independent journalism in an increasingly authoritarian Russia.
The next expected development is the formal legal dissolution of the organization following the enforcement of the eviction order and the completion of the removal of its remaining staff and assets.
