Russia Declares Novaya Gazeta 'Foreign Agent,' Forcing Esteemed Investigative Newspaper to Cease Operations

Novaya Gazeta, a prominent Russian investigative newspaper, has announced its closure following designation as a 'foreign agent' by Moscow. The editorial board stated on Friday that the newspaper has been compelled to halt its operations due to pressure from authorities.

The Russian media landscape has faced increasing state scrutiny amid Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. Recently, the home of a senior editor at Novaya Gazeta was searched, and the editor-in-chief was arrested.

"The newspaper is gone. The Russian authorities and … intelligence services forced the editorial staff to cease operations," the editorial board declared in a statement titled, "We were killed." Novaya Gazeta, long considered a bastion of independent journalism in Russia, has been labeled a 'foreign agent,' a designation frequently used to suppress dissent.

Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov confirmed the closure in a YouTube video, stating, "On November 9 we will turn off the lights in our home, where we have lived for 30 years. We will shut down the servers and leave." Sokolov had been questioned earlier in the month after authorities searched his home, citing a connection to a criminal case involving his colleague Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April and charged with "unlawful access to computerised information."

Reporters Without Borders expressed concern over the Kremlin's actions, noting the newspaper's history of facing adversity, including the murders of six journalists and staff members, newsroom raids, prosecutions of its journalists, and the 'foreign agent' designation.

The forced closure of Novaya Gazeta represents a significant escalation in Russia's crackdown on press freedom. Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, censorship and arrests of critics have surged, leaving few independent media outlets or journalists in the country. The newspaper had already reduced its domestic operations after its media license was revoked following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Its former editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, was a co-recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in safeguarding freedom of expression.