Novaya Gazeta forced to close as Russian authorities tighten pressure
The longtime independent newspaper is being evicted, its licence revoked and donations blocked, says co‑founder Dmitry Muratov.
Eviction and shutdown of Russia’s leading independent newspaper
At the editorial offices of Novaya Gazeta, cardboard boxes and plastic bags fill the space as staff pack up for the final time.
For thirty years the paper has been Russia’s most prominent independent outlet, known for investigative journalism that was sharply critical of those in power.
Now the newspaper is being evicted from the building it has occupied for three decades. In a statement on its website, the outlet says it has also been blocked from receiving donations.
Co‑founder’s description of the pressure
Journalist and co‑founder Dmitry Muratov told reporters, There are different ways to commit murder. They chose to strangle us.
He listed a sequence of measures he says the authorities have taken:
Blocking the newspaper’s websites and banning the paper edition.
Revoking its media licence.
Designating the outlet repeatedly as a “foreign agent”.
Attacks on its journalists.
Bank refusals to accept donations from readers.
Muratov said these steps have left the paper unable to earn money and have occurred amid broader political repression in the country.
Background on Muratov and the paper’s reputation
In 2021, Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts “to safeguard freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”.
Despite the award, Russian authorities designated him a “foreign agent” in 2023, a label often used against government critics.
Over the years, Novaya Gazeta built a reputation for fearless investigative reporting on corruption, human‑rights violations and abuse of power by officials and bureaucrats.
Journalists killed while working for the paper
The outlet says six of its colleagues were killed while “fulfilling their professional and civic duty”.
Among them is Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in the stairwell of her apartment block twenty years ago this month after writing extensively on the wars in Chechnya.
When the author visited the corridor, the office that Politkovskaya used was still preserved as a museum. Since the eviction order, most items have been removed, leaving only her desk and a portrait of her on top.
Paper’s final statement
In the announcement of its closure, Novaya Gazeta launched a direct attack on the Russian authorities, accusing them of effectively killing the newspaper.
The shutdown marks the end of the paper’s three‑decade presence in the Russian media landscape.
