With the parliamentary elections in Russia scheduled for September 19, every day brings new stories of arbitrary arrests, interrogations, and other attacks on critical voices. The Kremlin’s war on free expression claimed three fresh lives lately.
After Roskomnadzor, the government’s communications regulatory organization, suspended their websites, independent news groups MBKh-Media, Open Media, and Open Rights announced their closures.
Public protests, corruption, persecution of civic and political activists, and other injustices were all covered extensively by the outlets.
When the authorities shut down their websites on August 4, the editors anticipated that by removing any problematic content, they would be able to resume operations. The orders, according to Roskomnadzor, came from the prosecutor’s office and were related to alleged participation with banned foreign groups linked to exiled Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Russia’s draconian law on “undesirable foreign organizations” allows prosecutors to label any foreign or international organization that threatens Russia’s security, defense, or constitutional order as “undesirable.”
Under identical conditions, Team 29, a leading Russian organisation of human rights advocates and journalists, had to close two weeks prior. Their website was restricted by the authorities, stating that the group was tied to a “undesirable” Czech organization.
In July, the Justice Ministry added The Insider, which had published an investigation into the alleged poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny by Russian security services, to its list of “foreign agent media.” Now they must label any publication as “foreign agent material” and file regular, detailed reports on their work and funding, according to the Justice Ministry.
There are presently 17 people and 16 media projects on the “foreign agent media” list. Some have already quit operating, while others are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat as a result of the image that drives away readers and advertising, as well as impossible reporting requirements.
Five members of The Project, an investigative publication that the government banned as undesirable last month for exposing on high-level wrongdoing, are among those on the list.
In Russia, the space for free expression is dropping rapidly. Washington Center For Human Rights calls on the Russian authorities to stop their unlawful crackdown on free speech and respect human rights laws.