Novaya Gazeta closes after 33 years

Novaya Gazeta, Russia’s last major independent newspaper critical of the Kremlin, announced on Friday that it will cease operations. The editorial team stated that Russian authorities and security services have forced them to stop publishing.

The paper, which began printing in 1993, will close its office on November 9. The final issue will publish before the doors shut. An editorial statement described the closure as the result of relentless official pressure that has built over decades.

The newspaper was launched with financial help from Mikhail Gorbachev, who used part of his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize to fund it. It survived a period of intense scrutiny that began after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, other critical outlets have shut down or had their websites blocked.

Authorities have subjected the paper to a series of administrative and legal actions. Officials fined the publication after accusing it of discrediting the Russian armed forces. They also labeled it a foreign agent, a designation that implies extra government scrutiny. Later, authorities blocked all of the paper’s online platforms and seized its printing house.

The final administrative move involved revoking the newspaper’s media registration. Authorities ordered the staff to clear its premises and shut down the donation system that provided support from readers. The paper’s statement said these actions left the team destitute and under constant threat.

Dmitry Muratov, the longtime editor-in-chief, stepped down in 2023 after being named a foreign agent. He shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Maria Ressa. In 2022, an assailant poured red paint over Muratov on a train, causing severe eye discomfort. The paper’s history is also marked by violence; six of its journalists were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in 2006.

The newspaper blamed the Federal Security Service, the Justice Ministry, and the Prosecutor General’s office for the closure. It accused these agencies of privatizing the state and usurping power. The statement noted that one leading journalist, Oleg Roldugin, remains awaiting trial while offices have been searched.

Some staff who moved abroad have launched a new project called Novaya Gazeta Europe. This new outlet continues to criticize the Kremlin and its military action in Ukraine. The original paper’s statement declared that the constitution had been violated and that human rights had been abolished in the country.