Russian independent paper Novaya Gazeta to close on 9 Nov
Novaya Gazeta, a Moscow newspaper founded in 1993, says it is shutting down after state pressure. Its editorial staff decided to close at a meeting on 26 Oct, and the paper announced the decision on Friday, 30 Oct. The newsroom will turn off its servers and vacate its Potapovsky Lane headquarters on 9 Nov, when the final issue is due. The paper says its media licence was revoked in 2022, its donation platform was shut and its journalists have been detained. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said special services forced the team to stop work.
Key facts
- The paper's founder, Dmitry Muratov, called the closure part of a military campaign by Russia.
- Authorities had designated the paper a foreign agent, and a senior editor has been prosecuted.
- Six of its journalists were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, shot dead in 2006.
- Five men were convicted in 2014 over Politkovskaya's murder, but no ruling on who ordered it.
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Why it matters
A long-running independent Russian outlet is ending operations, with its funding and premises gone.
What changed
First published from Hindustan Times, SVT Nyheter, The Guardian, The Straits Times and The Moscow Times