As the Soviet Union crumbled, a genuine flowering of independent news media appeared in Russia. The radio station Echo of Moscow, the newsmagazine Itogi, the newspapers Sevodnya and Kommersant, the television channel NTV and dozens of others arose during the 1990s, unfettered by the state. Most are now shuttered or under the thumb of the Kremlin, or its allies. One of the last independent outlets, Meduza, has just been designated “undesirable” by Russia, threatening those who read and disseminate it in the country with criminal penalties.
Meduza has been at the front lines of reporting about President Vladimir Putin’s shift from soft authoritarianism to dictatorship. It was founded in 2014 by a group of journalists, including Galina Timchenko, who was fired that year as editor in chief of the popular news site Lenta.ru by its oligarch owner after Russia instigated the conflict in Ukraine with its invasion and annexation of Crimea. They set up Meduza in Latvia. In 2021, Russia formally labeled Meduza a “foreign agent” in an effort to discourage its coverage, and in 2022, as the war in Ukraine began, it was blocked online inside of Russia. But Meduza has refused to give up. It has grown into the most widely read independent source of news on Russia in Russian. By operating from Riga, it has protected its finances and operations from Russian control.
The new crackdown means it is completely prohibited in Russia under a law, adopted in 2015, that gives the prosecutor general the right to designate any foreign or international nongovernmental organization “undesirable” if it concludes that the activities threaten “the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation.” Meduza no longer has journalists inside Russia. But criminal penalties might be lodged against those who distribute Meduza’s reports or repost them on social media, those inside Russia who try to transfer money to Meduza or those who serve as sources for interviews and comments. “We are afraid for our readers,” the news outlet said after the designation. “We are scared for those who have worked with Meduza for many years. We are afraid for our loved ones and friends.”
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End of carouselAlso on the Editorial Board’s agenda
- The misery of Belarus’s political prisoners should not be ignored.
- Biden has a new border plan.
- The United States should keep the pressure on Nicaragua.
- America’s fight against inflation isn’t over.
- The Taliban has doubled down on the repression of women.
- The world’s ice is melting quickly.
Ihar Losik, one of hundreds of young people unjustly jailed in Belarus for opposing Alexander Lukashenko’s dictatorship, attempted suicide but was saved and sent to a prison medical unit, according to the human rights group Viasna. Losik, 30, a blogger who led a popular Telegram channel, was arrested in 2020 and is serving a 15-year prison term on charges of “organizing riots” and “incitement to hatred.” His wife is also a political prisoner. Read more about their struggle — and those of other political prisoners — in a recent editorial.
The Department of Homeland Security has provided details of a plan to prevent a migrant surge along the southern border. The administration would presumptively deny asylum to migrants who failed to seek it in a third country en route — unless they face “an extreme and imminent threat” of rape, kidnapping, torture or murder. Critics allege that this is akin to an illegal Trump-era policy. In fact, President Biden is acting lawfully in response to what was fast becoming an unmanageable flow at the border. Read our most recent editorial on the U.S. asylum system.
Some 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners left that Central American country for the United States in February. President Daniel Ortega released and sent them into exile in a single motion. Nevertheless, it appears that Mr. Ortega let them go under pressure from economic sanctions the United States imposed on his regime when he launched a wave of repression in 2018. The Biden administration should keep the pressure on. Read recent editorials about the situation in Nicaragua.
Inflation remains stubbornly high at 6.4 percent in January. The Federal Reserve’s job is not done in this fight. More interest rate hikes are needed. Read a recent editorial about inflation and the Fed.
Afghanistan’s rulers had promised that barring women from universities was only temporary. But private universities got a letter on Jan. 28 warning them that women are prohibited from taking university entrance examinations. Afghanistan has 140 private universities across 24 provinces, with around 200,000 students. Out of those, some 60,000 to 70,000 are women, the AP reports. Read a recent editorial on women’s rights in Afghanistan.
A new study finds that half the world’s mountain glaciers and ice caps will melt even if global warming is restrained to 1.5 degrees Celsius — which it won’t be. This would feed sea-level rise and imperil water sources for hundreds of millions. Read a recent editorial on how to cope with rising seas, and another on the policies needed to fight climate change.
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Nonetheless, Meduza vowed, “we believe in what we do. We believe in freedom of speech. We believe in a democratic Russia. The stronger the pressure, the harder we resist it.” The organization added, in a posting on its site: “We have no right to give up and be silent,” and “We will figure out how to work in the new conditions and how to stay close to you.”
The attack on Meduza underscores yet again the extent of Mr. Putin’s drive toward totalitarianism — control over all aspects of society. He has criminalized freedom of speech, assembly and religion inside of Russia, and is trying to destroy Ukraine as a democracy. Meduza’s survival is vital to keep shining a light on Russia when freedom is at risk.