On 2 June 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated as a “foreign agent” Proekt, an independent online news outlet known for investigating high-level corruption in Russia, including within Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Authorities also handed the “foreign agent” designation to journalist Roman Super as well as to Yarnovosti, a local media outlet in Yaroslav, a city in central Russia. In its decision, the ministry claimed that Yarnovosti, Proekt and Roman Super “disseminated false information about decisions made by public authorities of the Russian Federation”, including related to the war in Ukraine.

Following the decision, Yarnovosti decided to suspend publications, adding that it would contest the status in court.

Initially adopted in 2012, Russia’s law on foreign agents has been revised several times over the past decade to include an ever-wider range of potential targets for state-sponsored discrimination. Currently, any organization, media or private individual can be designated as such simply by being declared to be “under foreign influence” by the Russian Ministry of Justice or because of receiving funds of any amount from abroad (or from an entity itself receiving foreign funds). “Foreign agents” are also barred from receiving state financing, teaching at state universities, working with minors and providing expertise on environmental issues, among other restrictions.

UPDATE: On July 7, Yarnovosti said that journalists decided to fully close the media outlet following its designation as a “foreign agent”.

UPDATE: On 22 January 2024, Yarinform, a news agency created by former journalists at Yarnovosti, was also fully closed by its team, reportedly after authorities threatened to designate its editor-in-chief Anton Tumanov as a “foreign agent”.