Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, had accused the publication of failing to provide documents related to a 2006 ownership change. Speaking outside the court, Muratov said the decision was “a political job, without the slightest legal basis”. He said the newspaper would appeal. In a separate ruling next week, a Moscow court will decide whether to also revoke the license for Novaya Gazeta’s website. Novaya Gazeta is one of the most important independent publications in the country. Since it was founded by Muratov and his colleagues in 1993, it has investigated corruption inside and outside Russia, as well as the wars in Chechnya. A number of its journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya, have been killed since the 1990s in retaliation for their reporting. In March, Novaya Gazeta said it would suspend operations until the end of the war in Ukraine after receiving multiple warnings from the state censor for allegedly violating the country’s “foreign agents” law. Some of the newspaper’s staff left Russia and launched a new outlet, Novaya Gazeta Europe, published from several European cities. Roskomnadzor has blocked this site in Russia as well. Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, called the decision “a political success, without the slightest legal basis.” Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Muratov, who has remained in Russia, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October for his efforts to support press freedoms in Russia. He later auctioned off his 18-karat gold medal to raise money for Ukrainian refugees. In April, he was the target of a chemical attack, believed to be in retaliation for his anti-war stance. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has launched an unprecedented crackdown on protesters, independent news and foreign social media networks. In early March, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a draconian law that imposes up to 15 years in prison for intentionally spreading “fake” news about the military, effectively criminalizing any public criticism of the war. With the closure of Novaya Gazeta, the Russian government has now blocked or closed almost all independent outlets in the country. The move to revoke Novaya Gazeta’s license comes days after the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, widely seen as the paper’s patron. Gorbachev used part of his Nobel Peace Prize money to help found Novaya Gazeta in 1993. On Saturday, Muratov led Gorbachev’s funeral procession in Moscow.
