The Moscow Times Designated "Undesirable" By Russia's General Prosecutor

The journalism landscape in Russia faced another blow as the country's General Prosecutor's office declared The Moscow Times, a prominent independent media outlet, an "undesirable" organization. This announcement, reported by state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, enforces a nationwide ban on the publication and heightens the risk of arrest for its journalists and affiliates.

The official statement from the prosecutor's office condemned The Moscow Times' coverage, accusing it of seeking to discredit the Russian leadership's decisions. The declaration did not include any specific examples of the outlet's work that led to this assessment. The escalation against free press means that any Russian found collaborating with the publication, including sharing online content, could face criminal penalties.

The use of the "undesirable" label is not new; it was first implemented in 2015, targeting mostly foreign NGOs at the outset. Since then, the scope has expanded, engulfing a range of entities from independent media, human rights organizations to educational bodies. Both The Insider and the investigative journalism group Bellingcat were previously tarred with the same "undesidable" brush in July 2022.

Russian authorities are known to maintain an informal catalog of "undesirable organizations" which supplements the formal list. This tacit list includes NGOs involved in education and cultural exchange, further isolating Russian society from international dialogue and cooperation.

The history of The Moscow Times traces back to 1992, a period of newfound openness following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and it has since become a go-to English-language source of news in Russia. While it initially served the expatriate community, the outlet expanded its target audience to include a broader readership by launching a Russian-language service. Renowned for its editorial independence, The Moscow Times has been a cornerstone in the international coverage of Russia's complex societal and political fabric.

This crackdown on independent media comes at a tense moment when press freedoms in Russia are under unprecedented pressure. The case of Evan Gershkovich, a Moscow Times alumnus and currently a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, underscores the dangerous working environment for journalists in Russia. Gershkovich stands accused of espionage—a charge vehemently contested by him and his publication—in a trial that illuminates the chilling climate that now pervades Russian journalism.

In facing the designation of "undesirable," The Moscow Times joins a growing list of voices silenced or severely restricted by Russian authorities. This action is part of a broader strategy to control the narrative and suppress dissenting views, imposing a homogeneous state-sanctioned version of events on the populace.

As domestic policy grows increasingly repressive and international relations with Russia particularly strained, global awareness and condemnation of such restrictions on journalism become vital. The international community, press freedom advocates, and individual supporters of free speech are called upon to respond to this encroachment on the independent media's ability to operate within Russian borders.