The investigative media of exiled Russian journalists, Novaya Gazeta Europe, opens an office in Paris with the support of RSF
Created in April 2022 by journalists in exile from the Russian investigative media Novaya Gazeta, Novaya Gazeta Europe is launching a branch in Paris. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the establishment in France of this standard-bearer for the independent Russian press, which fights against Kremlin propaganda in Europe and Russia.
Novaya Gazeta Europe is set up in Paris. This independent investigative media supported by RSF was created by journalists from the Russian media Novaya Gazeta, who were forced into exile after the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. They first opened a newsroom in Latvia in April 2022, then a branch in Germany. With the official opening, thanks to RSF, of a structure in France, the editorial team hopes to launch investigations in collaboration with local media.
In response to the Kremlin's disinformation operations, Novaya Gazeta Europe strives to cover European news and its relations with Russia by transmitting reliable information to both Russian and European audiences. The site currently publishes its articles in Russian and English, and is consulted by a large audience - four to five million visits per month according to information given to RSF.
Labelled as an "undesirable organisation" by the Russian authorities since June 2023, the online news website run by former Novaya Gazeta deputy editor Kirill Martynov has since been banned in Russia.
“For the past two years, Russia has continued to censor and threaten independent journalists on its territory, forcing them to choose between exile and prison. With Novaya Gazeta Europe, the exiled journalists of Novaya Gazeta continue their investigative work and fight against the Kremlin's propaganda machine. RSF welcomes the opening of a Novaya Gazeta Europe bureau in Paris, which will play a crucial role both in enriching the French information space with its expertise on Russia and in providing reliable coverage of French topics for the Russian and European public.
The spearhead of Russian investigative journalism, Novaya Gazeta was forced to cease publication at the beginning of March 2022 as a result of increased pressure from the Russian authorities following the invasion of Ukraine. It resumed publishing a few days later, but on a reduced scale. Since then, it has been forced to publish on limited subjects due to censorship by the Russian authorities. In September 2022, the licences of the newspaper and website were revoked, and a year later the former editor-in-chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, was designated a "foreign agent". Despite this, the media manages to maintain very limited coverage in Russia.
