Novaya Gazeta Shuts Down After 30 Years Amid Russian Pressure

The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced on Friday that it is ceasing operations. The editorial board stated that state authorities and intelligence services forced staff to stop work. The outlet described the decision in a statement titled “We were killed.”

Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov confirmed the shutdown in a video posted to YouTube. He said the publication is ceasing to exist. On November 9, the team will turn off the lights in their office, shut down servers, and leave the building where they have worked for 30 years.

The closure follows recent legal actions against key figures at the paper. Russian authorities searched Sokolov’s home earlier this month. They said the search linked to a criminal case involving colleague Oleg Roldugin. Roldugin was arrested in April and charged with unlawful access to computerized information. Sokolov was taken in for questioning and arrested on October 15.

The paper had already scaled back domestic production after Moscow revoked its media license. This happened following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The state has since labeled Novaya Gazeta a “foreign agent,” a designation used to mark media as foreign-funded and often scrutinized for dissent.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders called the closure another escalation in the crackdown on press freedom. The group noted that six journalists and staff members have been murdered. It also highlighted that the newsroom has been raided and journalists prosecuted. The organization asked how far the Kremlin’s campaign against the paper would go.

Novaya Gazeta is widely seen as a leading independent voice in Russia. Its former editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. The prize was shared with Ukrainian journalist Maria Ressa. The award recognized their work in protecting the right to free speech under threat.