Muratov will step down as editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta during a dispute with the Ministry of Justice over the status of a foreign agent

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov (included in the register of foreign agents on September 1) will temporarily leave the post of editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta during the trial of his inclusion to the register of foreign agents. This is stated in the e-mail to subscribers of Novaya Gazeta. His duties will be performed by his deputy Sergei Sokolov.

“Muratov categorically disagrees with the decision of the Ministry of Justice and is suing. At his request, the editorial board suspends Dmitry Muratov’s functions as editor-in-chief for the duration of the trial, ”Novaya Gazeta reported, the text of the letter leads journalist Arina Borodina.

The Ministry of Justice declared Dmitry Muratov a foreign agent because of “the creation and distribution of messages and materials of foreign agents to an unlimited circle of people”, as well as because of the “use of foreign platforms” to disseminate opinions “aimed at forming a negative attitude towards Russia’s foreign and domestic policy “.

Representative of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Berit Reiss-Andersen, commenting on the decision of the Ministry of Justice, statedthat in this way the Russian authorities are trying to silence the journalist. Dmitry Muratov received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize along with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa. He dedicated the award to the murdered journalists of the publication.

In September 2022, the court annulled the license of Novaya Gazeta and Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta, as well as the publication’s website. In June of this year, the Prosecutor General’s Office declared Novaya Gazeta Europe, a publication created by former employees of the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta (registered in Latvia), as undesirable.

Anastasia Larina