Novaya Gazeta shuts down after government pressure, founder reveals struggles

Dmitry Muratov, co‑founder of Novaya Gazeta, says Russian authorities have “strangled” the paper as it closes its doors after three decades of independent reporting. The newspaper is being evicted from its longtime office, its website blocked, its licence revoked and its bank accounts frozen. The move ends Russia’s most prominent independent newspaper.

The crackdown follows a wave of repression that began after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. New laws labelled any outlet receiving foreign money as a “foreign agent”. Novaya Gazeta was hit with that label in 2023, then stripped of its media licence and barred from printing. Banks stopped processing donations, and the state blocked its online presence. The authorities have used the foreign‑agent law to silence critics and to pressure independent media into silence.

Muratov, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for defending free expression, was branded a foreign agent a year later despite his award. Over its 30‑year history, Novaya Gazeta exposed corruption, human‑rights abuses and war crimes. Six of its journalists have been murdered, including Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot in 2006 while reporting on the Chechen wars. The newsroom now holds only a desk and a portrait of Politkovskaya as the rest of the office is emptied.

Human‑rights groups say the closure marks a new low for press freedom in Russia. They warn that the loss of the paper will make it harder for citizens to learn about state misconduct. Muratov and remaining staff say they will continue to fight from exile or online, but the immediate future looks bleak. International observers say the move underscores the Kremlin’s willingness to crush dissent wherever it appears.