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Russia revokes licences of Novaya Gazeta, jails ex-reporter for 'treason'

By Caravanserai and AFP

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, celebrates after a person made a final offer of $103.5 million to buy his 2021 Nobel Peace Prize medal in New York, on June 20. Muratov donated the money to help displaced Ukrainian children. [Kena Betancur/AFP]

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, celebrates after a person made a final offer of $103.5 million to buy his 2021 Nobel Peace Prize medal in New York, on June 20. Muratov donated the money to help displaced Ukrainian children. [Kena Betancur/AFP]

MOSCOW -- Russian courts have revoked the licences of top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and an affiliated magazine and jailed a respected former reporter for 22 years for treason, in the latest move to clamp down on independent media.

Russia on Tuesday (September 6) revoked the licence of a magazine launched by Novaya Gazeta, which had its own print licence revoked a day earlier.

Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta magazine was launched by Novaya Gazeta, a leading liberal outlet whose chief editor was co-awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.

"The Basmanny court in Moscow has revoked the registration licence of 'Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta'," the outlet said on social media, meaning it will no longer be allowed to publish in print.

Former military-affairs journalist Ivan Safronov, who was arrested in July 2020 on treason charges and was accused of passing state secrets to Czech intelligence, appears in court in Moscow on April 4. He was sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment on September 5. [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]

Former military-affairs journalist Ivan Safronov, who was arrested in July 2020 on treason charges and was accused of passing state secrets to Czech intelligence, appears in court in Moscow on April 4. He was sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment on September 5. [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]

Novaya Gazeta's website already had been blocked by Russian authorities.

The decision was made following a complaint from the state media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, which said too much time had passed between the registration of the magazine's name in 2009 and the publication of its first issue in July 2022.

The watchdog did not clarify why it took so long to file an administrative claim, Novaya Gazeta said.

A Moscow court Monday also "invalidated the registration certificate of the print version of Novaya Gazeta", the outlet -- which suspended publication in late March after a series of media restrictions were imposed on coverage of the Ukraine conflict -- said on social media.

It later said the decision doomed the newspaper.

"The newspaper was killed today. They stole 30 years of life from its employees. Deprived readers of the right to receive information," Novaya Gazeta said, adding that its "free spirit" will continue to exist.

The decision was "another blow to the independence of Russian media", UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.

Roskomnadzor is also seeking to shut down Novaya Gazeta's website.

Former reporter jailed for treason

Also on Monday, a Moscow court jailed former defence reporter Ivan Safronov for 22 years on treason charges for divulging state secrets.

The judge said Safronov will serve the time in a "strict regime penal colony", AFP reported.

The 32-year-old worked for business newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti and was one of Russia's most respected journalists covering defence, politics and the country's space programme.

About 100 people gathered in the Moscow courthouse for the verdict, applauding Safronov and chanting "Freedom!" after the sentence was read out.

His lawyer Dmitry Kachev called the verdict "deficient", adding that Safronov was sentenced for his "journalistic work".

Safronov's lawyers told reporters that they will appeal.

Safronov was arrested in July 2020, after leaving journalism to serve as an adviser to the director of the state space agency, Roscosmos.

He was accused of collecting confidential information about the Russian military, defence and security and handing it over to foreign intelligence.

Safronov's case was heard behind closed doors based on evidence that was also kept secret.

Prosecutors last week requested a sentence of 24 years in jail for Safronov, after he reportedly turned down a plea deal for a shorter sentence.

At the start of his trial in April, Safronov called the case a travesty and said he was not guilty.

The former journalist has said his reporting was based on analysis of open sources and conversations with officials.

Safronov's case triggered a backlash from independent journalists and his former colleagues.

On Monday, a dozen independent media, including Novaya Gazeta, published a statement demanding Safronov's release, saying the harsh sentence represented the Russian regime's attempt at revenge for his work.

Tightening the screws

Russian independent media have in recent years faced unprecedented pressure, with authorities further tightening the screws since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February.

All main independent media outlets have been shut down in Russia or suspended their domestic operations.

Novaya Gazeta has paid a heavy price for its independent stance and investigative coverage over the years.

Since 2000, six of its journalists and contributors have been killed in connection with their work, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya.

In Central Asia, analysts have long warned of the ill effects of Kremlin propaganda and the Russian regime's attempts at censorship.

Kremlin-backed media earlier this year denounced free speech in Uzbekistan after Uzbek media refused to toe Moscow's line on its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has entered a new phase of its propaganda-filled information war and psychological war, according to Kamoliddin Rabbimov, a political analyst from Tashkent.

Its main enemy is Ukraine, along with the West as a group, he said in March, adding that at the same time, the Kremlin is keeping tabs on opinions about the invasion in the post-Soviet region, including Central Asia.

Russian media outlets, including journalists who specialise in the region, are signalling to the Uzbek authorities as well as bloggers and journalists that "if you criticise any more, you'll have huge problems", Rabbimov said at the time.

Russian propaganda is one of the main reasons for separatist rhetoric in Kazakhstan, according to Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an Uralsk journalist.

"Propaganda flows not only from news stories and political talk shows but also from seemingly mundane TV programmes, such as sports programmes, and all of them propagate ideas of the greatness of the Russian nation," he said in August.

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