Novaya Gazeta, known for its investigative journalism on corruption, human rights violations and the practices of the government in Russia, decided to close down due to increasing political and economic pressures.
While the belongings of the newspaper, which was evacuated from the building it had been using for nearly 30 years, were being put into boxes in its Moscow headquarters, the newspaper management accused the Russian authorities of systematically rendering the publication inoperable.
According to the BBC, the newspaper, whose access to its websites was blocked, its print publication was stopped and its media license was cancelled, also lost its economic resources because the donations from its readers were not accepted by the banks.
Dmitri Muratov, one of the founders of the newspaper and the winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, criticized the process with harsh words.
"There are different ways to commit murder. They chose to strangle us," Muratov said.
Claiming that the Russian authorities gradually made the newspaper inoperable, Muratov said:
"First, they blocked our websites and banned our printed newspaper. Then they canceled our media license. One by one, we were declared 'foreign agents', our journalists were attacked. Now, we are not allowed to make money. Banks do not accept donations from our readers. There are political pressures in our country, and now they have reached us, too."
Muratov, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for his efforts to protect freedom of expression, was declared a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities in 2023.
This status has been a subject of debate in Russia for a long time due to its practices towards journalists, non-governmental organizations and opposition figures who criticize the government.
THE MURDERED JOURNALIST'S ROOM WAS ALSO EMPTYED
Over the years, Novaya Gazeta has become known for its coverage of corruption, human rights violations, and abuse of power by public officials.
The newspaper states that six of its employees have been killed so far while fulfilling their professional and social responsibilities.
Among these names is journalist Anna Politkovskaya, known for her reports on the Chechen wars and the practices of the Russian security forces.
Politkovskaya was killed in an armed attack on the stairs of her apartment building in Moscow in October 2006.
After the murder, the journalist's study and personal belongings were preserved and turned into a museum in his memory.
However, with the evacuation decision, most of the belongings in the room were removed. According to the BBC, only the desk and Politkovskaya's portrait on it remained in the room.
ACCUSED FROM THE NEWSPAPER TO THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES
Novaya Gazeta criticized the Russian administration heavily in its statement announcing the closure decision.
The statement published on the newspaper's website began with the words: "They killed us. The newspaper no longer exists. Russian authorities and Russian intelligence services forced the newspaper to stop its work."
Arguing that what happened was the result of a coordinated intervention, the newspaper management accused state institutions in Russia of applying pressure.
The statement said, "Human rights and freedoms have been eliminated in the country. Defending them has become tantamount to a crime. The courts have been destroyed along with the law. Having a personal opinion is now considered treason."
After Russia launched a large-scale military attack against Ukraine in February 2022, the pressure on independent media organizations in the country intensified.
Laws adopted shortly after the start of the war, which the Kremlin called a "special military operation", paved the way for punishing criticism of the war and the government's policies.
In this process, many independent media organizations had to stop their activities or move their operations outside the country.
Novaya Gazeta also tried to continue its publishing activities in a more limited manner, despite the increasing restrictions. Loyal readers of the newspaper continued to access the news by overcoming the access restrictions imposed on the website through virtual private networks (VPN).
However, the cancellation of the license and the cutting of economic resources made it increasingly difficult for the newspaper to continue its activities.
POLICE RAID ON NEWSPAPER, INVESTIGATION ON JOURNALISTS
The pressure on Novaya Gazeta was not limited to publication bans and economic restrictions.
Earlier this year, the newspaper's headquarters were searched by police. Experienced investigative journalist Oleg Roldugin was detained and a lawsuit was filed against him on the charge of "unlawful access to computer information".
As part of the investigation, the current editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Sergey Sokolov, was also summoned for questioning by the police. A search was also carried out at Sokolov's house.
The newspaper management considers these transactions as part of the pressure on independent journalism.
Speaking to the BBC about the closure of Novaya Gazeta, Dmitri Muratov said that the developments in Russia threaten not only press freedom but also fundamental rights and freedoms.
Muratov said, "We are in the middle of a terrible disaster. Different dictatorships in the world want chaos. They use chaos to rule their countries and people and strengthen their personal power."
Stating that he does not know what will happen in the future, Muratov emphasized that they will not give up the principles of journalism despite this.
Muratov said, "I don't know what will happen next. The only thing I know is that we will do everything we can to stick to our values. The right to life is a fundamental human right. Human rights are superior to the rights of states."
