Team behind Novaya Gazeta’s new magazine charged with ‘discrediting’ the Russian army

Russian police have filed misdemeanor charges against the editorial team behind Novaya Gazeta’s new magazine, Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta, for allegedly “discrediting” the armed forces.

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe (a separate publication), Russia’s censorship agency (Roskomnadzor) maintains that articles by Alexander Minkin, Andrey Kolesniov, and Kirill Fokin published in the magazine’s first issue and on its website “discredit” the Russian army. However, Novaya Gazeta Europe also notes that these articles do not mention Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces, the National Guard, or the Federal Security Service (FSB).

“An official by the surname Wagner wrote a letter to Deputy Interior Minister [Alexander] Gorovoy with a request to launch administrative proceedings. [It was] no sooner said than done. The letter went all the way down and was taken up by the police directorate for Moscow’s Central Administrative District,” Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta said.

After attempting to comply with military censorship laws Russia introduced after the February invasion of Ukraine, Novaya Gazeta paused publication in mid-March under threat of losing its media license. The newsroom announced the launch of its new magazine, Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta, on July 15. Roskomnadzor blocked the magazine’s website on July 24, citing orders from the Attorney General’s Office.