In July 2021, the Russian authorities designated the news outlet The Insider as a “foreign agent” and the investigative outlet Proekt as an “undesirable organization.” They also deemed the Russia-based Institute for Law and Public Policy a “foreign agent,” along with 13 journalists working for various publications. In addition, five foreign organizations were blacklisted as “undesirable” — four of which are associated with exiled former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The authorities linked the fifth organization, the Prague-based Freedom of Information Society (Spolecnost Svobody Informace), to lawyers from the human rights association Team 29. As a result, Russia’s censorship agency blocked Team 29’s website, prompting the group to disband. Also in July, Roskomnadzor blocked Alexey Navalny’s website, along with more than 40 other sites linked to the jailed opposition politician. Russia also blocked Czech Radio’s Russian-language website (due to an article about the self-immolation of Czech student Jan Palach in 1969), as well as the song lyrics giant Genius.com (due to song lyrics recognized by Russian courts as extremist or encouraging suicide), and the website of the human rights project Gulagu.net, which suspended operations in Russia in May out of concern for the safety of its staff.

Here’s who the Russian authorities blacklisted and blocked in July