Human Rights Reporters 
The Supreme Court of Russia has landed the final blow to Novaya Gazeta, one of the few remaining independent news media outlets in the country in a ruling on Thursday 15th September 2022, by revoking its online licence, meaning it ceases to operate in the country.
Novaya Gazeta newspaper is accused of violating the country’s controversial “foreign agents” law which observers claim the Kremlin is using to silence its critics.
Its chief editor Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, in a statement accuses the Russian authorities of seeking to destroy the 30-year-old news outlet. Mr Muratov describes the ruling as synonymous to “murder” as they are actively depriving hundreds of people jobs, and readers of the right to information, which is a given in any democratic regime.
The newspaper giant has indicated it will exercise its right to appeal the Supreme Court’s ruling as it has been ordered a halt to it publishing activities. Novaya Gazeta’s frosty relationship with the Kremlin started in March, 2022 when it ceased printing because it was accused of violating how the media in the Russia Federation are allowed to give coverage to the invasion of Ukraine.
It is a newspaper that commenced operation in 1993 with funding from the Nobel Peace prize of the last Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Most of the reporters of the media house (Novaya Gazeta) have since fled the country due to potential intimidation by the state actors.
READ: Rwanda Police Violates Rights of Slum Dwellers Movement in Kigali
This latest ruling on the operation of Novaya Gazeta is signaling the silencing of all the country’s main independent media outlets, including Echo of Moscow radio and Dozhd TV, which have been shut down or have suspended operations in Russia, according to DW TV.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has ranked Russia 155 of 180 countries in its 2022 Press Freedom Index, stating that, since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, most of its, if not all independent media platforms have either been banned, blocked and/or declared “foreign agents.” The remaining ones are all currently subject to military censorship.
About The Author
