The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta suspended its publications due to pressure from the Kremlin

The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced on Monday the suspension of its online and print publications until the end of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, in a context of pressure from power on voices critical of it.

In a statement published on its website, the newspaper – whose chief editor, Dmitri Muratov, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 – indicated that it had made this decision after receiving a second warning from the Russian telecommunications regulator for having violated a law on “foreign agents”.

“There is no other solution. For us and, I know, for you, it is a terrible and painful decision. But we have to protect each other,” Muratov wrote in a letter to the newspaper’s readers.

Specifically, Novaya Gazeta is criticized for not having specified that an NGO mentioned in one of its articles was classified as a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities, as required by law.

The newspaper received the first warning on March 22 and a second on Monday.

Since the start of the military operation on February 24, the websites of various Russian and foreign media have been blocked. Novaya Gazeta was one of the last independent daily newspapers still active in Russia.

The authorities voted several laws that punish with prison sentences for what they consider “false information” about the conflict in Ukraine.

Another measure used by the authorities against organizations or individuals critical of the Kremlin is the law on “foreign agents”. Those who are described as “foreign agents” must present themselves as such in any publication, including social networks. The media that mention them also have to specify it.

Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta has a reputation for investigating corruption and human rights abuses in Chechnya. This commitment has cost the lives of six of its employees, including the famous journalist Anna Politkóvskaya, assassinated in 2006.

BACKGROUND

At the beginning of the month, the Strasbourg Court adopted precautionary measures at the request of the independent Moscow newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” and demanded that Russia not deprive it of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

In application of article 39 of its Regulations, the European judicial body invites the Russian authorities to “refrain from any action and decision that completely obstructs and ends the activities” of this media outlet.

The European Court of Human Rights has taken into account the exceptional context in which the lawsuit has been filed, after the approval last week of a reform of the Russian Penal Code to punish what is considered “false information” related to the invasion of Ukraine with sentences of up to 15 years in prison.

The request for precautionary measures was presented on March 3 by the Novaya Gazeta and Telekanal Dozhd (Rain TV) television companies and by Russian citizens Dmitri Murátov and Natalia Sindéyeva. Muratov is the editor of the newspaper and was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, which he dedicated to his media outlet and to his six journalists and collaborators killed since 2000, including Politkóvskaya.

The European court was asked to plead with the Russian government not to interfere in the lawful activities of the Russian media related to the armed conflict in Ukraine. In particular, the Government refrain from “blocking information elements and materials that contain opinions that differ from the official point of view of the Russian authorities.”

The Strasbourg Court justifies its precautionary measures by “the imminent risk of irreparable damage to freedom of expression and the silencing of independent media in Russia.”