Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Prize-winning journalist, has been designated as a "foreign agent," a designation frequently used to...
Digital Desk: On September 1, Russian authorities declared Nobel Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov a "foreign agent," an act that is frequently used to target critics of Kremlin policy.
Muratov, the editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper and a co-laureate of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, was one of several Russian nationals put on the list, as reported by Russian news media.
Police searches and other disciplinary measures have been carried out on so-called foreign agents. While Muratov remains in Russia, many others on the list have gone since the February 2021 invasion of Ukraine, branded a "special military operation" by the Kremlin.
Muratov "created and disseminated material (produced by) foreign agents and used it to spread negative opinions of Russia's foreign and domestic policies on international platforms," stated the Justice Ministry.
However, the individuals and organisations accepting foreign funds can be labelled foreign agents under Russian law.
Muratov and Novaya Gazeta gained international acclaim for their investigative reporting, which was frequently critical of the Kremlin. He later auctioned off his Nobel Prize, stating that the $103.5 million revenues would benefit Ukrainian refugee children.
Novaya Gazeta ceased publication in 2022 in response to legislation setting harsh penalties for slandering Ukraine's military operations and Russian soldiers. Many of its journalists have reunited with a new Latvian publication.
Among Russian citizens on the list included another journalist who authored articles in support of Ukraine, a comedian who opposes the conflict, and a historian from Chechnya, where Russia crushed militants in two post-Soviet wars.
Some notable dissenters in Russia have been imprisoned, including anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny.
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