Causes and Effects

Unprecedented fine for The New Times angered the journalistic community in Russia and caused an international outcry

The repression of an independent Russian socio-political journal attracted the attention of the OSCE . Harlem Désir, a spokesman for the freedom of the media organization, called the court's decision "unprecedented". “Such a large fine against The New Times is an unprecedented decision that harms media freedom in the Russian Federation. I urge the authorities to reverse this decision and I hope that this will happen when the appeal is filed,” Desir said.

The head of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, in connection with the decision of the Russian court on a fine to The New Times, suggested that the Russian Federation change the legislation on the media - foreign agents, the Secretary General said in a statement received by RIA Novosti . “The legal justification for this fine, linked to the so-called foreign agent legislation, which the Council of Europe has criticized on previous occasions in the past, should be reviewed by the Russian authorities,” Jagland said. According to him, "The Council of Europe is ready to help Russia in this regard."

Many Russian journalists agree with the opinion of the representative of European politicians.

Aleksey Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, has no doubts that the order to close the independent online publication by any means came from the very top: level,” Venediktov said on the air of Ekho Moskvy. “When a justice of the peace overturns the decision of the plenum of the Supreme Court, you can’t call it anything other than political motives.

Forbes editorial director Nikolai Uskov, in an interview with Novaya Gazeta , said that the lawsuit "on a far-fetched pretext" could be nothing more than pressure on the Russian press. “Ultimately, no matter how we feel about the New Times, this is a magazine that shows that freedom of speech still exists in Russia. But this lawsuit demonstrated that this freedom does not exist here after all. It is very dangerous,” Uskov said. In his opinion, this independent publication is perceived by the authorities as “openly oppositional”.

Revenge for Yevgenia Albats for a well-performed journalistic work, called the court decision a well-known journalist and human rights activist, columnist for MBKh Media Zoya Svetova . “This is clearly revenge on the editor-in-chief of the magazine, who conducted an absolutely brilliant one and a half hour interview with Alexei Navalny on the air of the Ekho Moskvy radio station. Very important and very tough things were said there in relation to the current regime, to Vladimir Putin, to General Zolotov and further down the list. I don’t presume to quote, but Alexei Navalny said that the mafia rules in Russia - this is how I took his statement, ”said Svetova.

Elena Sherstoboeva, a lawyer and associate professor at the Higher School of Economics, in a commentary for Business FM , recalled that the position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is that the punishment should be proportionate and proportionate. “In my opinion, the punishment here is not proportionate. And according to the position of the ECHR, in any case, the sanctions imposed on the editorial office should in no way lead to the closure of the media,” Sherstoboeva believes.

Kirill Martynov, political editor at Novaya Gazeta, is sure that the situation with the fine is a typical example of how fines, which are introduced for the technical regulation of the media or NPO market, turn into an instrument of political pressure.

“The act of intimidation is addressed not only to Albats, but also to all professional journalistic teams remaining in Russia. We are persistently offered to engage in self-censorship, because otherwise any formal error in the work can turn into the death of the editorial office, ”Martynov believes.

The political editor of Novaya Gazeta is sure that the only thing that can disrupt this plan is human solidarity. “The increase in the number of crowdfunding initiatives by independent media and NGOs must be a complete dead end for the authorities: after all, in their understanding, one can act only on the basis of cynical benefits. It is rather difficult to accuse a Russian citizen who transferred his 100 rubles in support of Mediazona, 7 by 7 or Such Affairs of being a foreign agent. This is where our national cynicism breaks down. The Internet and the ability to support independent projects with a word and a ruble make the Russian walk to the final triumph of authoritarianism as long as possible,” Martynov sums up.

Prepared by Artem Alexandrov