The classification of Meduza, the largest Russian independent news site, as a “undesirable organisation” is one of the harshest acts of censorship since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The prosecutor general of Russia said in a statement on Thursday (January 26) that the parent business of Meduza, which is registered in Latvia, “threatens the foundations of constitutional order and the security of the Russian Federation,” without providing any further details.
According to the ruling, Meduza is not allowed to operate in Russia, and anyone who “cooperates” with it or even just shares a link to its online content runs the danger of incurring a six-year prison sentence.
The Kremlin’s new attempt to censor discussion on the Ukrainian war is the ban on Meduza. The public’s access to information about the conflict has been restricted, thereby making independent Russian media illegal.
The decision will presumably make it very difficult for the website’s reporters, the majority of whom are based in Latvia, to connect with individuals in Russia, hence reducing the website’s viewership.
Its readership of about 15 million people has mostly remained in Russia despite the movement of thousands of people who opposed the war or sought to flee it.
“We’d like to say that we’re not scared and we couldn’t care less about this new status – but that’s not true,” Meduza said in a statement. “We are scared for our readers. We are scared for the people who worked with Meduza for many years. We are scared for our loved ones and our friends.”
“Nonetheless, we believe in what we do. We believe in freedom of speech. We believe in a democratic Russia. The bigger the pressure, the harder we will stand up to it,” Meduza added.
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