Russia revokes independent Novaya Gazeta's last media licence

Record ID: 1689137

  • Title: Russia revokes independent Novaya Gazeta's last media licence
  • Date: 15th September 2022
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 15, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** SIGN READING (Russian) "THE SUPREME COURT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION" SUPREME COURT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT JUDGE, VYACHESLAV KIRILLOV, SAYING:  "The Supreme Court of Russian Federation has decided to grant the administrative claim of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Media (Roskomnadzor) and end the activities of Novaya Gazeta media." REPORTERS IN THE PRESS ROOM WRITING ON WALL (Russian) "THE SUPREME COURT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) NOVAYA GAZETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. DMITRY MURATOV, SAYING ADDRESSING TO THE COURT: "What are you trying to prevent by destroying the media, which could have turned 30 next year? What are you trying to prevent?" REPORTERS NEAR THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING MURATOV WALKING OUT TO PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) NOVAYA GAZETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DMITRY MURATOV, SAYING: "We need to appeal (the decision) in a month's time. And we will; we will go all the way, and I understand it's quite a meaninglessness." STATUE OF THEMIS AT SUPREME COURT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) NOVAYA GAZETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DMITRY MURATOV, SAYING: "During the court session, Slava (Novaya Gazeta lawyer Yaroslav Kozheurov) and I defined the Roskomnadzor position as 'killing (an outlet) is the best way to prevent problems with the media'. And this is what we faced today." REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) NOVAYA GAZETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DMITRY MURATOV, SAYING: "This verdict is bullshit - that's what I think." VARIOUS OF ROAD SIGN NEAR THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 29th September 2022 12:46
  • Keywords: Novaya Gazeta Russia Ukraine court media verdict
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Europe,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
  • Reuters ID: LVA001554315092022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE IN SHOT 12
    Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's few remaining independent news outlets, was stripped of its last media licence on Thursday (September 15).
    Russia's Supreme Court in effect banned Novaya Gazeta's online version, days after a Moscow district court banned Novaya Gazeta's newspaper and its sister magazine "No" ("But"), founded less than three months ago.
    The media watchdog Rozkomnadzor had accused Novaya Gazeta's web version of repeatedly violating the restrictions imposed on "foreign agents", a designation applied to the paper that has also been applied to numerous other voices and organisations at odds with the Kremlin.
    Editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace laureate for his efforts to uphold critical news reporting, expressed his anger at the decision in court.
    "What are you trying to prevent by destroying the media, which could have turned 30 next year? What are you trying to prevent?".
    Speaking later outside the court, Muratov said he would appeal to the Supreme Court's appellate chamber.
    The paper, a stalwart of Russia's media scene since its foundation in 1993 with money from the Nobel Peace Prize of late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, had carved out a niche as Russia's leading investigative news outlet, even as press freedoms were rolled back.
    In March, it suspended operations in Russia after being cautioned for violating new laws imposing strict censorship on coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.
    Outside the court, Muratov called the verdict "informational genocide" and said it would make investigative reporting much harder because reporters would no longer be able to make inquiries of authorities.
    Some of the paper's staff have set up an online outlet in Europe, whose publications are also blocked in Russia.
    Muratov, who sold his Nobel medal to help Ukrainian refugees, on Sept. 3 led the funeral procession of Gorbachev, his financial backer and friend.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register