Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s most recognized independent news organizations, has ceased operations following coordinated actions by authorities. The outlet announced its closure through a statement on its website, characterizing the shutdown as a “murder” of the newspaper and attributing responsibility to Russian state authorities and security services.
The newspaper’s closure followed an eviction order and the simultaneous disabling of its reader donation system, eliminating its primary funding mechanism. Novaya Gazeta had established itself over three decades as a source of investigative reporting on sensitive subjects including corruption, human rights abuses, and official misconduct. The organization noted that six journalists affiliated with the paper had been killed while conducting their work, including Anna Politkovskaya, who was fatally shot approximately 20 years ago.
In its closure statement, Novaya Gazeta characterized the shutdown as a “coordinated act” by the Russian state apparatus and criticized conditions within the country, stating that human rights protections have been eliminated and that holding personal convictions now constitutes state treason according to authorities. The newspaper’s struggles intensified following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after which new laws were enacted to suppress dissent and criticism of the war and government.
Prior to its final closure, Novaya Gazeta faced mounting obstacles including license revocation, website blocking, and designation of multiple staff members and contributors as “foreign agents.” Police conducted a search of the editorial offices, and a veteran investigative journalist was arrested on computer access charges. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief underwent police questioning and had his residence searched. Despite these restrictions, the outlet continued operating in reduced form through readers using virtual private networks to access blocked content.
Dmitry Muratov, a founder and longtime chief editor of Novaya Gazeta, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for safeguarding freedom of expression. He was subsequently declared a “foreign agent” by authorities in 2023. The newspaper’s closure marks a significant transition in Russia’s media landscape and reflects broader trends toward increased state control.
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