Novaya Gazeta, Russia's Leading Independent Newspaper, Shuts Down Under State Pressure

Novaya Gazeta, one of the most high-profile independent news outlets in Russia for the past three decades, has announced it is shutting down. In a statement published on its website, the newspaper said it had been forced out of existence, writing that the Russian authorities and Russian special services had compelled it to stop its work. The immediate triggers were practical as well as political. The paper received an eviction order, and at the same time the system that had allowed it to accept donations from readers was disabled, leaving it with no way to fund the publication. In its closure statement, Novaya Gazeta accused the Russian authorities of a "coordinated act" against the paper and blamed what it called the "repressive state apparatus". The statement declared that human rights and freedoms had been eliminated in the country and that their protection had been equated to a crime. "The courts have been destroyed along with the law. Having personal convictions is now state treason," it said. The newspaper built its reputation on fearless investigative reporting into corruption, human rights violations and abuse of power by officials and bureaucrats, subjects that carry serious risk in Russia. It said six journalists connected with the paper had been killed over the years for fulfilling their professional and civic duty. Among them was Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in the stairwell of her apartment block 20 years ago this month, and whose reporting included coverage of the wars in Chechnya. Her office at the paper had been left untouched since her killing. Pressure on the publication had been mounting for years. The authorities revoked the newspaper's licence and blocked access to its website, while several of its journalists and contributors were designated "foreign agents", a label frequently used against critics of the government. 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 in connection with the case, and his home was searched. Despite these restrictions, Novaya Gazeta had managed to continue operating in a reduced form. Loyal readers used virtual private networks to circumvent the blocking of its website, but the loss of its licence and other measures dealt a major blow to its ability to function. The newspaper was founded in the 1990s, and for many years its chief editor was journalist Dmitry Muratov. In 2021, Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts "to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace". The award did not shield him from the authorities, who declared him a "foreign agent" in 2023. The crackdown on Novaya Gazeta reflects a broader squeeze on independent journalism since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Soon after the start of what the Kremlin calls its "special military operation", new laws were adopted in Russia aimed at punishing dissent and silencing criticism of the war and of those in power. At the newspaper's offices, staff have already begun packing. For Russia's independent press, the end of Novaya Gazeta marks the end of an era, and in an increasingly authoritarian Russia, a sign of the times.