Suspended in Russia, “Novaya Gazeta” writes a new page in Latvia

They had judged that their work had become too dangerous. After suspending their activity in Russia, journalists from the Russian independent media Novaya Gazeta restructure their editorial staff outside the country, a few weeks after suspending their activity in Russia. A new law on the media, taken in the context of the war in Ukraine, in fact punishes with 15 years in prison any dissemination of “false” information, that is to say information not aligned with the Kremlin’s discourse on the war. The newspaper had announced at the end of March to suspend its publications online and in paper format.

Thus, part of the team stayed on the spot while another fled to create a new media, legally independent: Novaia Gazeta Europe has already started publishing articles, broadcasts on Russian and international news. The site, based in Riga, Latvia, already has 100,000 readers, via Telegram messaging, and a presence on social networks and on YouTube. The website is in preparation and displays a countdown on the home page: online launch scheduled for Wednesday 20 April.

A beacon for many Russian media

At the head of the new media, the Russian journalist Kirill Martinov believes that “the situation is simple […]. We need to start working again as soon as possible to give accurate informationhe explains to France Info. Because, in the present grave circumstances, the Russians need this information. We have to give it to them.” However, this requires some acrobatics. “Obviously, it is not possible to work as a freelance journalist in Russiaadds Kirill Martinov. Our journalism is therefore between, on the one hand, an “undercover operation”, like spies; and on the other side, to succeed in transmitting this information to the Russians, it looks like a digital start-up, able to fight against censorship on the Internet.

Known around the world for his atypical commitment, Novaya Gazeta is led by a man of strong character, Dmitry Muratov, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in his own name in October. But that’s right Novaya Gazeta which, through him, was awarded. This medium represents an example for the hundreds of Russian trainee journalists who did not see themselves working elsewhere when they left school and who passed through the offices of the newspaper. It is also a beacon for the many other Russian media, which would dream of being able to enjoy such independence. Finally, it is also a place of memory: eight employees of the newspaper have been assassinated since its creation with the financial assistance of Mikhail Gorbachev. The most famous name among these victims: that of Anna Politkovskaïa, killed in 2006 in Moscow.