The Barents Observer, a journalist-owned online newspaper based in Kirkenes, Norway, has become a hub for exiled Russian journalists and a target for Russian authorities despite its remote location and modest size. The publication, which reports on northern Russia and the Euro-Arctic region in English and Russian, was designated an “undesirable organisation” by Russia’s prosecutor general, making it illegal for Russian citizens to communicate with its journalists. In recent months, multiple staff members have been added to Russia’s wanted list on various charges including spreading false information and justifying terrorism.
Denis Zagore, originally from Murmansk, became the third Barents Observer journalist to appear in Russia’s interior ministry database. His colleague Olesia Krivtsova was sentenced in absentia to six years in a penal colony in July, while news editor Farida Kurbangaleeva received an eight-year sentence in absentia for charges related to coverage of the Russian military. Another journalist, Georgii Chentemirov, was added to a foreign agents registry and criminally charged. Despite these circumstances, the newsroom staff have created a “wanted” wall displaying their Russian listings as a form of dark humour.
Editor Thomas Nilsen stated that the escalation in pressure has been dramatic in recent months, particularly following the publication’s inclusion in a Russian state newspaper’s reference to leading global media outlets. Nilsen emphasised that the newspaper views itself as a threat to authoritarianism rather than vice versa, noting that Putin’s attempts to extend media control beyond Russian borders represent a broader concern for press freedom. The outlet continues its reporting work through alternative methods including open-source research, monitoring of border crossings, satellite imagery analysis, and interviews with exiled Russians.
The newspaper now faces additional legal challenges, including a lawsuit in London’s high court from Russian billionaire Vitaly Orlov over news stories published about a fishing company. Nilsen expressed concern that such litigation could financially devastate the operation. Despite the accumulating obstacles, the Barents Observer’s journalists maintain their commitment to independent journalism from their location near the Norway-Russia border.
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