At the Moscow offices of Novaya Gazeta the corridors feel empty and silent, a echo of the paper’s shutdown by the Kremlin in 2022. For more than thirty years the outlet had been the voice of independent reporting, shining a light on corruption and human rights abuses. In 2021, Dmitry Muratov shared a Nobel Peace Prize for safeguarding freedom of expression, yet the award could not shield his editorial team from state repression.
The newspaper’s printing presses were nationalised and its registration revoked. Though its website remains online, the Russian authorities block access unless one uses a virtual private network, signalling a tightening clampdown in the post‑invasion era. Muratov estimates that at least 1,500 people have been imprisoned since the start of the “special military operation” for speaking out.
Muratov is a “foreign agent” under Russian law, a status that carries severe restrictions, including limitations on teaching, voting, and ownership. Yet he focuses on the stories of political prisoners rather than self‑preservation, citing their imprisonment for criticizing the war. The photographs he shows include journalists convicted for extremism, a former city councillor jailed for criticizing the military, and a musician who died in detention during a hunger strike.
When confronted about Russia’s alleged capability for nuclear use, Muratov dismisses speculation as “charlatanship,” though he notes that state‑run forums have spoken favorably of nuclear options. He questions whether the Kremlin’s sense of field security has truly increased, citing attacks on Russian infrastructure and the growing number of political prisoners.
Despite the bleak picture, Muratov finds hope in quiet expressions of support from Moscow residents, who verbalise gratitude for his reports. He calls for a global response to the plight of dissenting voices, while highlighting that a Nobel laureate’s protection is not automatic.
The article illustrates how Russia’s war over Ukraine extends beyond battlefield casualty counts to an ongoing assault on democratic freedoms, press, and the very conscience of its citizens.
