Mediazona reported today that Russia’s federal communications, information technology and mass communications monitoring service, Roskomnadzor, has begun blocking it.
“Because we report openly about what is happening in Ukraine and call the invasion an invasion and a war a war,” the media said.
The digital rights group Roskomsvoboda reported that the authorities had also blocked publications from Republic, Snob.ru, Agentstvo and other media.
Roskomsvoboda reported that the independent media had been attacked by an order of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office dated February 24.
According to Mediazona, Russia has introduced “military censorship in recent days and the country has almost no independent media left.”
Republic said Roskomnadzor had not informed it of the reason the web edition was being blocked, but said readers would still be able to access it via VPN.
“Thank you for staying with us. The night will end,” Republic said.
Roskomsvoboda reported that the websites of several regional newspapers and other Internet media had also been blocked.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Russian authorities have stepped up crackdown on the already repressed media.
On Friday, Putin signed a law amending Russia’s penal code, which provides for up to 15 years in prison for “false news”, “discrediting the country’s armed forces” and calls for sanctions against Moscow.
The Russian authorities have falsified any information revealing war crimes in Ukraine, the killing of civilians, the damage suffered by the Russians and the resistance of the Ukrainian people to the invaders.
Russia even forbids calling the war against Ukraine a war or an invasion, or any other appropriate name. All media have been forced to use euphemism imposed by the Kremlin – a “special operation”.
In response to repression by the media, Russia’s independent television channel Dozhj announced on Thursday that it was suspending operations and the board of directors decided to shut down the radio station Echo of Moscow and its website.
Russia’s independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has said it will not cover the war in Ukraine because of the new law.
Russia’s media edition Mediazona was founded in 2014 by Nadezhda Tolokonikova and Maria Alohin, members of the punk and protest group Pussy Riot, after serving a prison sentence for Putin’s ridicule in the church.
Mediazona reports, among other things, lawsuits and human rights violations.
Snob.ru and Republic publish the latest news and analytical articles, while Agentstvo, formerly known as Proekt, specializes in investigative journalism. “Agentstvo” stated that it will continue to work.
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