Novaya Gazeta closes after years of pressure from Russian authorities
The independent Russian newspaper is shutting its remaining operations on Monday, saying it has lost its office and financial support.
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The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta ended its remaining operations on Monday. The editorial team says a sustained campaign by the authorities, including legal pressure and the loss of office space and financial support, made it impossible to continue.
Novaya Gazeta is ending its remaining operations on 9 November. The newspaper had operated under severe restrictions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and had previously largely suspended publication in Russia. The closure concerns the newspaper’s remaining operations.
According to Reuters, senior journalists were prosecuted and the newspaper lost its financial support and office. The editorial team describes the closure as the end of a newspaper that played an important role in independent investigative journalism in Russia for thirty years.
Novaya Gazeta was known for investigations into corruption, abuse of power and the war in Chechnya. Dmitri Muratov, one of its best-known former editors-in-chief, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. The newspaper had previously faced warnings, blocks and the withdrawal of its media licence.
The Russian state presents restrictions on independent media as enforcement of media and security rules. Human rights organisations and journalists’ organisations instead see the closure as part of broader repression against media that do not follow the official line. The sources therefore differ mainly in their interpretation of the justification, not over the fact that the newspaper is closing.
For readers in the Netherlands, the development is relevant because the disappearance of an independent newspaper may restrict the flow of information from Russia. That could make it harder to verify military and political claims, but does not mean that every publication outside Russia is automatically reliable. Information about Russia must be checked against multiple sources, including independent media operating from exile and public documents.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Novaya Gazeta is ending its remaining operations on 9 November.
- The newspaper cites legal pressure and the loss of office space and financial support as reasons.
- The closure follows years of restrictions on independent media in Russia.
Left
Arguments Sees the closure as a serious assault on press freedom and evidence that state power is systematically silencing critical journalism.
Values Democratic oversight, human rights and access to independent information.
Consequences Fears that abuses and acts of war will become harder to scrutinise and that journalists will face greater risks.
Centre
Arguments Emphasises that media must operate within the law, but that restrictions must be transparent, proportionate and subject to review.
Values The rule of law, institutional oversight and the reliability of public information.
Consequences Expects the prolonged exclusion of independent media to damage trust in all information.
Right
Arguments Emphasises that a state at war may restrict disinformation and foreign influence, and that media bear responsibility for national security.
Values State security, order and national sovereignty.
Consequences Fears that unrestricted media provide space for hostile propaganda, but must then distinguish between verifiable journalism and influence operations.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The closure date, the pressure on the newspaper and the earlier restrictions have been confirmed by Reuters and independent media. The text attributes the political interpretation to the organisations concerned.
- confirmed Novaya Gazeta is ending its remaining operations on 9 November. — Reuters, RFE/RL and The Guardian name 9 November as the closure date. source
- confirmed The newspaper lost office space and financial support, and senior journalists faced legal pressure. — Reuters describes these circumstances. source
- confirmed Dmitri Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. — Background fact about Novaya Gazeta’s co-editor-in-chief. source
Editor's note
The closure on 9 November and the pressure cited by the editorial team have been confirmed by multiple public sources. The characterisation of this as part of broader repression is an interpretation by media and human rights organisations.Sources
- Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it is shutting down — Reuters via Investing.com
- Russian society being systematically crushed, says Novaya Gazeta — The Guardian
- Novaja Gazeta formally ceases operations — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „novaja gazeta”
- Trouw — „novaja gazeta”
- NRC — „novaja gazeta”