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Russia Bans Independent News Source, Moscow Times

Russia has declared the Moscow Times, one of the country’s oldest independent news sources, an "undesirable organisation". This designation makes it a criminal offence for anyone to have any links to the news site.

What Does This Mean?

The decision, announced by Russia’s prosecutor-general’s office on Wednesday, bans the news site from the country, threatens staff with up to six years in prison for working there, and criminalises posting its articles online. Prosecutors claimed that the Moscow Times "aimed to discredit the senior leadership of the Russian Federation in foreign and domestic policy" and "systematically published inaccurate socially resonant information to discredit our country’s organs of state power" during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Background

The Moscow Times was founded in 1992, shortly after the Soviet Union’s collapse. It quickly emerged as Russia’s main English language news source and now also runs a website in Russian. The publication maintained its editorial independence even as Russia began slowly ramping up pressure on the media after President Vladimir Putin came to power.

Crackdown on Dissent

The designation is part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Most of Russia’s independent news outlets have been banned, and many journalists have fled the country. In April 2022, Russia blocked the Moscow Times’ website, and in November 2023, deemed the publication a "foreign agent", a designation aimed at making it near impossible to monetise its audience inside the country.

Reaction

Derk Sauer, the Moscow Times’s founder, said, "The Moscow Times has a long tradition of fact-based independent journalism. Whatever label the Russian authorities put on us, we’ll continue with our mission to provide our Russian and international readers with quality journalism. In Putin’s Russia, this is now a crime."

Impact

The Moscow Times said Russia’s decision "will make it even more difficult for us to do our jobs, putting reporters and fixers inside Russia at risk of criminal prosecution and making sources even more hesitant to speak to us". The publication is mostly funded through western grants and donations from readers, though supporters in Russia will now face criminal charges for sending it money.

History

Before the invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow Times was also a training ground for many journalists who went on to cover Russia for major western media outlets. Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter currently on trial in Russia on espionage charges the newspaper vehemently denies, began his reporting career at the Moscow Times.

Conclusion

The Moscow Times’s designation as an "undesirable organisation" is a significant blow to press freedom in Russia. The publication’s commitment to fact-based independent journalism is under threat, and its staff and sources are at risk of criminal prosecution. The international community must stand in solidarity with the Moscow Times and other independent news outlets facing repression in Russia.

FAQs

Q: What does the designation "undesirable organisation" mean?
A: It makes it a criminal offence for anyone to have any links to the Moscow Times, including working for the publication, posting its articles online, or sending it money.

Q: What is the punishment for working for the Moscow Times?
A: Staff members can face up to six years in prison for working for the Moscow Times.

Q: How will this affect the Moscow Times’s operations?
A: The publication will continue to operate, but it will be much more difficult for them to do their jobs, putting reporters and fixers inside Russia at risk of criminal prosecution and making sources even more hesitant to speak to them.

Q: How is the Moscow Times funded?
A: The publication is mostly funded through western grants and donations from readers, though supporters in Russia will now face criminal charges for sending it money.

Q: What is the significance of the Moscow Times’s designation?
A: The Moscow Times’s designation is a significant blow to press freedom in Russia and a further erosion of the country’s independent media landscape.

Author: www.ft.com

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