MOSCOW ā A court in Moscow on Monday upheld a motion from Russian authorities to revoke the license of a top independent newspaper that for years has been critical of the Kremlin, the latest move in a months-long crackdown on independent media, opposition activists and human rights groups.
The ruling against Novaya Gazeta, Russia's most renowned independent newspaper, comes amid Russia's grinding military campaign in Ukraine and the Kremlin's effort to silence critics of what it calls a āspecial military operation.ā
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Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor-in-chief of the newspaper, called the ruling on Monday āpoliticalā and ānot having the slightest legal basis," and he promised to contest it.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's media and internet regulator, petitioned the court to revoke Novaya Gazeta's license, accusing it of failing to submit the newsroom charter to authorities on time.
Novaya Gazeta announced March 28 that it was suspending operations for the duration of what it referred to in quotation marks as āthe special operationā in Ukraine, the term that Russian authorities insist media must use for the military action in Ukraine.
Its team, however, launched a new project, Novaya Gazeta Europe, from abroad, criticizing the operation in Russiaās ex-Soviet neighbor.
Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russiaās Kremlin-controlled parliament approved legislation that outlawed alleged disparaging of the Russian military or the spread of āfalse informationā about the countryās military operation in Ukraine.
Dozens of Russian independent media outlets were banned as a result, while other announced halting any reporting related to Ukraine.
The U.N. Human Rights Office condemned the ruling in a statement Monday.
āThe judgment against Novaya Gazeta is yet another blow to the independence of Russian media whose activities have been further compromised by legal restrictions and increased state controls imposed followingā Russiaās military action in Ukraine, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.