Russian reporters open outlet in Europe after Moscow-based paper suspends publication

[LONDON] Russian journalists from investigative paper Novaya Gazeta said on Thursday (Apr 7) they were launching a new media outlet in Europe after their paper suspended its activities over warnings it received from the authorities.

Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov was co-winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, was among the liberal Russian media facing increased pressure in the wake of Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine.

Last month, the paper said it could no longer operate in Russia after receiving warnings from communications watchdog Roskomnadzor for failing to properly identify an organisation deemed a "foreign agent" by the authorities in its publications.

At the time, the regulator said it had given Novaya Gazeta 2 warnings, news agencies reported.

Novaya Gazeta, which had removed material from its website on Russia's military campaign in Ukraine to comply with a new media law, said it could not resume its activities until the end of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

"We, journalists of Novaya Gazeta who were forced to leave Russia due to a virtual ban on our profession, are happy to announce that Novaya Gazeta Europe, an outlet that shares our values and standards, is beginning its work," Kirill Martynov, the new venture's editor-in-chief, said in a statement.

The new outlet, which is not formally affiliated with Novaya Gazeta, will publish articles about Russia in different languages, Martynov said.

"We will cover world and Russian news for people who read Russian and share European values," he said.

Martynov added that Novaya Gazeta reporters hoped to eventually resume their work in Moscow.

Established after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Novaya Gazeta and its journalists have been subjected to intimidation and attacks over investigations into rights violations and corruption.

Muratov dedicated his Nobel Peace Prize to the memory of 6 of his paper's journalists who were murdered for their work. REUTERS