Russia’s independent Novaya Gazeta announced on Friday that it will close on November 9, saying authorities forced its editorial team to end its work after searching the home of its editor. The announcement, reported by France 24, cites pressure from authorities who recently searched the home of the paper’s senior editor and earlier this year detained one of its journalists.
Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov made the claim in a video statement posted on YouTube. According to Guardian World, he said: "The Russian authorities – the Russian special services – have forced the editorial team to end its work." Sokolov said the paper will turn off the lights in its office on November 9, where it has worked for 30 years, and shut down its servers.
Sokolov was taken in for questioning earlier this month, and authorities searched his home over a criminal case involving colleague Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April, according to France 24.
Roldugin has been charged with "unlawful access to computerised information," according to Guardian World, which said no details of the charge were given. Citing the state RIA news agency, Guardian World reported that Roldugin pleaded not guilty. He is awaiting trial under house arrest, which has been extended to November 10.
Russian authorities classify Novaya Gazeta as a "foreign agent," a label France 24 says is used to stifle dissent. The authorities revoked the paper’s media licence in 2022.
The paper’s situation has developed against a wider backdrop. Russia has introduced near-Soviet levels of censorship since sending troops to Ukraine, and the vast majority of independent journalists have been pushed into exile. Novaya Gazeta cut back production inside Russia after the offensive began in February 2022. Its former editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, jointly won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to safeguard freedom of expression at the paper.
Novaya Gazeta plans to stop operating on November 9, when it will shut its servers. Roldugin’s house arrest runs until November 10, and he awaits trial.
The key facts rely on two sources, France 24 and Guardian World, which appear to carry near-identical reports of the same statement. No independent confirmation of the closure was found. Russian authorities did not respond to the closure announcement or to the claim that they forced the paper to close. The sources also do not say what specific criminal conduct Roldugin is accused of beyond the wording of the charge, or give the legal basis or outcome of the search of Sokolov’s home.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.