The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply saddened by the October 30 announcement of the forced closure of the legendary independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, yet another symbol of the Kremlin’s relentless assault on press freedom.
IPI and its global network condemn the systematic campaign of repression waged against Novaya Gazeta and its staff in recent years, which has left the newspaper with no choice but to cease operations to protect the safety of its staff.
Nobel Peace Prize-winning former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov was awarded IPI’s World Press Freedom Hero award in New York in 2022.
In a statement titled “We Have Been Killed,” Novaya Gazeta said that recent attacks by the Kremlin had left the newsroom with “no means of existence” and that it would close on November 9.
The newspaper cited its eviction by Russian authorities from its historic office space in Moscow, as well as unrelenting pressure from law enforcement authorities, including the recent search of the home of its editor-in-chief and the detention of a journalist.
Russian banks had also recently cut off Novaya Gazeta from reader donations, without which the newsroom could not have operated in recent years.
The closure brings to an end a storied 30-year history, during which the paper represented the vanguard of the country’s independent journalism community and provided Russian citizens with watchdog reporting.
“Novaya Gazeta stands out as a landmark of Russian independent journalism,” IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen said. “For 30 years, the newspaper fought to bring impartial news to its readers, all while facing extreme pressure from the authorities. Six journalists, including IPI World Press Freedom Hero Anna Politkovskaya, paid the ultimate price and were killed in retaliation for their work.”
Despite decades of pressure, Novaya Gazeta continued its work, including after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when the Kremlin introduced legislation that de facto banned any independent journalism on topics related to the war.
Earlier this year, Russian authorities detained Novaya Gazeta editor Oleg Roldugin and placed him under house arrest on charges of misusing personal data. He awaits trial and faces up to six years in prison. On October 15, investigators searched the Moscow home of editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov and questioned him before releasing him.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Moscow court stripped the newspaper of its print licence in September 2022. Russian authorities then designated the newspaper as a “foreign agent”. Restrictions were also extended to approximately 100 journalists and other media personnel, whom authorities declared to be “affiliated persons” linked to a foreign agent.
Muratov, the long-time editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, was also harassed systematically. Assailants attacked him in Moscow in 2022, and he nearly lost his eyesight. Authorities also later designated him a foreign agent.