Russia labels Nobel winner Dmitry Muratov a ‘foreign agent’
- The designation – reminiscent of the Soviet-era term ‘enemies of the people’ – is commonly used by Russian authorities to stifle critics
- Moscow has stepped up efforts to stamp out dissent since launching its Ukraine invasion, with most high-profile opponents in exile or behind bars
Russia on Friday added respected journalist and Nobel Prize co-recipient Dmitry Muratov to its list of foreign agents, a label authorities commonly used to stifle critics.
Russia’s ministry of justice said Muratov, the editor of Russia’s top independent publication Novaya Gazeta, “used foreign platforms to disseminate opinions aimed at forming a negative attitude towards the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation”.
“What is there to comment on? For comments, contact the Ministry of Justice,” said the Novaya Gazeta website.
It added the foreign agents list now included 674 “worthy” people and organisations.
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The label, which is reminiscent of the term “enemies of the people” of the Soviet era, requires individuals or groups to disclose sources of funding.
It also compels them to mark all publications – including social media posts – with a tag. This put foreign agents and people sharing their content at risk of heavy fines.