Russia’s Top Independent Newspaper Novaya Gazeta to Shut Down After Years of Pressure

Russia’s prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced on Friday that it would cease operations on November 9, blaming sustained pressure from authorities and security agencies after more than three decades of reporting critical of the Kremlin.

In an editorial statement, the newspaper said Russian authorities and security services had forced its editorial team to stop working. It announced that its final issue would be published before its office closes. There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities.

Founded in 1993 with assistance from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who used part of his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize money to support the publication, Novaya Gazeta became a leading independent voice in Russia.

The newspaper faced mounting restrictions following Moscow’s military action in Ukraine in February 2022, as authorities intensified their crackdown on dissent. Its online platforms were blocked, its printing house was seized, its media registration was revoked and it was fined over allegations of discrediting Russia’s armed forces. It was also designated a “foreign agent”, a label associated with additional scrutiny and stigma.

The publication’s history has been marked by violence against journalists. Six of its reporters were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, who covered alleged atrocities during the second Chechen war. She was shot dead in her apartment building in 2006. Five men were convicted in connection with her murder in 2014, but no ruling was established who ordered the killing.

Longtime editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, who shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, stepped down in 2023 after being designated a foreign agent. He was attacked on a train in 2022 when an assailant poured red paint over him, causing severe eye discomfort.

The newspaper said authorities had ordered it to vacate its premises and shut down its reader-donation system, describing the closure as part of a wider erosion of civil liberties.

Some former staff members who moved abroad established Novaya Gazeta Europe, which continues to criticise the Kremlin and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.