The United Kingdom and Finland on Monday called on Russia to end its repression of independent media after the newspaper Novaya Gazeta stopped operating inside the country. The two governments issued the joint statement as Co-Chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition. The statement was published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
According to the statement, Novaya Gazeta ceased operations in Russia after more than 30 years. It called the closure “a stark reminder of the sustained pressure facing independent journalism in Russia.” The statement did not say how or why the newspaper closed, or whether Russian authorities took any specific action against it.
The statement said the paper and its journalists have spent decades covering corruption, along with repression and abuses of human rights, often at great personal risk. It said the two countries remember reporters whose work cost them their lives, and it named Anna Politkovskaya.
The UK and Finland said authorities in Russia keep relying on repressive laws to curb a free press. According to the statement, independent journalists in Russia face arrest, detention, harassment and political imprisonment.
The two countries said they stand in solidarity with independent journalists and media workers in Russia and in exile who continue their work despite these pressures. They also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including all the unlawfully imprisoned journalists. The statement did not name any of the imprisoned journalists or say how many there are.
The statement also asked the Russian authorities to let journalists and media workers work freely and safely. It urged Russia to stop repressing independent media and journalists and to uphold its international human rights obligations. The statement said independent media plays a vital role in ensuring people have reliable information and in holding those in power to account.
The statement did not describe any further steps by the UK, Finland or the coalition. It did not include a response from the Russian government or from Novaya Gazeta.