The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia condemns the policy deliberately pursued by Russia’s authorities to introduce full control over the media in Russia through purposefully eliminating independent journalism and restricting freedom of speech. Independent journalists are targeted with politically motivated repression. Russian people are denied the possibility of receiving credible information, including on Russia’s aggression and war in Ukraine.
5 September 2022 saw new attacks on independent journalism in Russia.
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court has passed a ruling to revoke the licence of Novya Gazeta, a well-known and respected independent media outlet in Russia. The newspaper has been functioning for almost 30 years and offering an objective coverage of processes in Russia’s politics and society. Its editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
A depressing example of rampant repression against journalists is the decision of the Moscow City Court sentencing the journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison.