A new step in censorship in Russia. The Meduza site, the largest Russian-language independent media, has been designated “undesirable organization” by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, Thursday, January 26. In a brief press release (in Russian)the site is accused of threatening “constitutional order and security” of Russia. The collaborators, as well as anyone who has cooperated with the media, in one way or another, incur criminal penalties. It is also forbidden to distribute or share its content, under penalty of a fine. This forces the Russians to clean up their social networks, urgently.
The Meduza site, by its journalistic rigour, is one of the reference sites in Russian language. It covers extensively the news of the war in Ukraine, with investigations and a daily live. The media was installed since 2014 in Riga, capital of Latvia. But since the beginning of the conflict, several Russian independent media have fled their country.
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Under a law passed in 2015, the public prosecutor’s office reserves the right to assign this status of “undesirable organization” to any international or foreign organization, without the need for a court order. This measure is then forwarded to the Russian Foreign Ministry for formal approval. Meduza is the fourth media to be the subject of such a procedure, after “Proekt”, “Important Stories” and “The Insider”.
Already declared “foreign agent” in 2021
The media has yet to comment on the decision. Meduza CEO and publisher Galina Timchenko simply clarified at the Russian version of the BBC (in Russian) that she was in a meeting with the editor, and that she would give a reaction later. The media had already been declared a “foreign agent” in April 2021, and had to mention it in each of its publications. This measure had also led to the departure of many private advertisers. Meduza has since relied on crowdfunding to continue its adventure.
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This announcement aroused many reactions within the Russian-speaking independent media. “ We believe that by doing so, the Russian authorities are moving towards the complete isolation of the country’s citizens from any independent information about the war and its consequences for Russian society.”notably wrote the editorial staff of Novaya Gazeta Europe (in Russian)in a letter of support.