The Prosecutor General’s Office declared Novaya Gazeta Europe undesirable – Kommersant

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia has recognized as undesirable the activities of the Latvian BDR Novaja Gazeta-Europe, which publishes the publication Novaya Gazeta Europe, according to message supervisory agency. The Prosecutor General’s Office claims that the organization creates and distributes “biased information materials to the detriment of the interests of the Russian Federation.”

“The main themes of the publications include false information about alleged massive violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens in Russia, accusations of our country of unleashing an aggressive war in Ukraine, committing war crimes against the civilian population, and repression,” the message says.

In addition, the Prosecutor General’s Office indicated that the organization distributes materials of extremist or recognized as undesirable organizations. In this regard, the oversight agency believes that the activities of Novaya Gazeta Evropy “pose a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order” and Russia’s security.

The publication Novaya Gazeta Europe, registered in Latvia, was created by members of the editorial board of Novaya Gazeta. On March 28, 2022, the publication suspended its work after two warnings from Roskomnadzor about the absence of marking foreign agents in the materials of the publication. In September 2022, the court annulled the license for the printed version of Novaya Gazeta due to “failure to submit the editorial charter within the time limits established by the media law.”

The status of an undesirable organization allows its employees to be held criminally liable under Art. 284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The maximum penalty under this article is imprisonment for up to four years. Administrative and criminal liability threatens those who like and distribute materials of an undesirable organization or provide it with financial support.

Lusine Balasyan