Dmitry Muratov, one of Russia’s best-known journalists, was added to the country’s list of foreign agents, less than two years after the Kremlin praised his principled reporting that won him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Muratov, the former editor of the now-closed liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was included Friday evening in an update to the Russian Justice Ministry’s register of journalists, politicians and activists who Moscow alleges are acting on behalf of enemy states.
The foreign agent designation, which has been repeatedly used against critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin and opponents of his war in Ukraine, means Muratov must abide by strict rules for political action. It also prohibits him from participating in public life. Any mention in Russian media or social networks must refer to his status.
According to Human Rights Watch, “In Russia, the term “foreign agent” is synonymous [to] Spy or Traitor” and was used to “vilify and punish independent voices.”
The decision to accuse Muratov of being under undue foreign influence contradicts the Russian state’s previous assessment of his journalism. After Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov congratulated, saying the longtime editor “works consistently according to his own values, is committed to these values, is talented and courageous.”
Muratov shared the Nobel Peace Prize with American reporter Maria Ressa for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a prerequisite for democracy and lasting peace.”
Since the start of its increasingly disastrous war in Ukraine, Russia has all but eliminated the country’s independent media and imposed harsh punishments on those it says “discredit the Russian armed forces.”
Many Russian journalists were forced to move abroad to continue their work. Muratov’s Novaya Gazeta was forced to cease operations in Russia in April 2022, weeks after the start of the war, and has since been forcibly closed by the state, although it continues to publish online.
Since March 29, Moscow has also been holding Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges for which no evidence has been provided. US President Joe Biden described the arrest, the first of an accredited correspondent on espionage allegations since the end of the Cold War, as “completely illegal”.
In August, POLITICO reporter Eva Hartog was expelled from Russia after she was denied an extension to her visa.
Earlier this week, the Nobel Foundation was criticized by both Swedish and Ukrainian politicians after it decided to invite Russian ambassadors to this year’s awards ceremony.