Independent "Novaya Gazeta" ceases operations. "Authorities and services forced us to do this"

The independent Russian newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" has ceased operations due to pressure from authorities. Editor Sergey Sokolov announced this on YouTube, citing the Kremlin's use of legal tools to censor media. In September, the paper was labeled a "foreign agent," leading to increased scrutiny. Sokolov's apartment was searched in connection with a criminal case involving journalist Oleg Rołdugin, who has been under house arrest since June for alleged misuse of personal data. The paper, founded in the early 1990s, was one of the last independent outlets in Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. Dmitry Muratov, the previous editor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, faced similar repression, being added to the "foreign agents" list in September 2023.