MOSCOW – Masked security personnel conducted a search of the Moscow headquarters of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s most prominent independent newspapers, the publication reported Thursday.
The newspaper announced via Telegram that it was unaware of the specific reasons behind the operation and that their legal representatives were being denied access to the premises.
According to statements from law enforcement sources cited by state news agency RIA, the search operation was connected to a probe involving the unauthorized handling of personal information. Russia has significantly strengthened its media censorship regulations and intensified its campaign against independent journalism organizations following the start of its military operation in Ukraine in 2022.
In another significant development Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court declared Memorial, the country’s most prominent human rights organization, an extremist group. This ruling creates legal grounds for criminal charges against anyone who provides support, funding, or distributes the organization’s content.
Novaya Gazeta stands as one of Russia’s most recognized investigative journalism organizations. The publication’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and honored six journalists from his newspaper who were killed while pursuing their reporting duties.
In 2023, Russian authorities labeled Muratov a “foreign agent,” a classification the government uses for individuals and organizations it considers to be engaging in activities against Russian interests with international backing.
