The Ivan Golunov case was a 2019 criminal case in which the Meduza journalist was accused of attempting to distribute drugs. His arrest caused a major public outcry, as many believed the case had been fabricated in retaliation for his investigative reporting that criticized Moscow authorities. Numerous violations during his detention and the investigation process led to mass protests and widespread support for Golunov from the media and the public.

As a result, five days after his arrest, the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Later, five police officers involved in fabricating the case were convicted of abuse of power and falsification of evidence. The media played a key role by widely covering the case, organizing support campaigns, and shaping public opinion, which helped secure the journalist’s release and hold the responsible officers accountable.

Novaya Gazeta reported on torture in correctional colonies, including Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Yaroslavl Region (IK-1), and published videos showing the abuse of prisoners. The torture footage, recorded on the body cameras of Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) officers, became the basis for criminal cases against colony employees. These materials led to arrests and trials in which several officers were charged, and the prosecutor requested sentences of up to three years in prison.

Novaya Gazeta’s publications exposed systematic violations and violence within the colony, sparking a strong public reaction and prompting a wave of inspections across the FSIN system. Special commissions were also established to investigate similar incidents, as confirmed by FSIN and Prosecutor General’s Office representatives. The investigations revealed cases of beatings, torture with rubber batons, and other forms of abuse against inmates. Following the publications and inspections, authorities concluded that immediate intervention in the country’s correctional facilities was necessary.

The investigation by The Insider and Bellingcat uncovered a group of FSB officers who had been tracking Alexei Navalny for several years and, according to journalists, were involved in his poisoning.

Reporters analyzed phone call metadata, airline passenger databases, and other sources, identifying at least eight FSB officers linked to the operation of surveillance and the assassination attempt. These individuals were connected to the FSB Criminalistics Institute and the “Signal” Center, which develops chemical weapons, including Novichok.

Following the publication of the investigation, the EU and the US imposed sanctions on specific FSB officers and associated entities mentioned in the report as being involved in the surveillance and poisoning of Navalny.

The investigation by Elena Milashina and Novaya Gazeta into the gay purges in Chechnya uncovered mass detentions, torture, and killings of men suspected of being homosexual.

The Chechen authorities categorically denied both the persecution and even the existence of an LGBT community in the region.

Following the publication, large-scale evacuations and rescue operations were organized by human rights defenders and LGBT organizations to help victims escape from Chechnya. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) began documenting human rights violations in the region related to the persecution of LGBT people.

The protests against the construction of a waste landfill at the Shiyes railway station began in 2018 in the Arkhangelsk region and later spread to the Vologda region and the Republic of Komi. The landfill was intended for storing household and industrial waste from Moscow and other regions, but it provoked massive public outrage due to fears of environmental pollution and threats to water resources, which could have led to an ecological disaster contaminating the White Sea and the global ocean.

Activists and local residents organized large-scale rallies, blocked roads, and set up tent camps near the construction site. The protest was supported by residents of other Russian regions who expressed solidarity with the demand to stop the project. The demonstrations received extensive media coverage and international attention, while public pressure grew thanks to the active involvement of the media and civil society.

As a result of the protests and the media outcry, the authorities abandoned the construction plans in 2019, and the contract with the developer, Technopark LLC, was terminated. In addition, the governors of two regions — Igor Orlov of the Arkhangelsk region and Sergey Gaplikov of the Komi Republic — resigned, taking responsibility for the situation and the protests.