- Published
At the Moscow offices of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the corridors are silent.
asserted
corridors → publish → Gazeta
"There is no newspaper anymore," former chief editor Dmitry Muratov tells me in an exclusive interview, published on the BBC News YouTube channel, external.
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Muratov → be → channel
Muratov, 64, co-founded Novaya Gazeta more than 30 years ago.
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Muratov → co → Gazeta
It became the flagship for hard-hitting independent journalism in Russia, shining a light on human rights abuses and high-level corruption.
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It → become → abuses
In 2021 Muratov was joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts "to safeguard freedom of expression."
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Muratov → safeguard → expression
The Nobel Committee noted that "six of [Novaya Gazeta's] journalists have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaya who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya.
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who → note → Chechnya
But it didn't protect the paper.
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it → protect → paper
"Putin issued a decree and the newspaper's printing presses were nationalised," Muratov explains.
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Muratov → issue → decree
"Its registration was revoked."
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registration → revoke → ?
Novaya Gazeta does retain a presence online.
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Gazeta → retain → presence
But only just: the authorities have blocked access to its website.
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authorities → block → website
It can only be accessed from abroad, or with the help of VPNs – virtual private networks used to circumvent restrictions.
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It → access → restrictions
The newspaper's difficulties reflect the broader crackdown on free speech in Russia which has accelerated since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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which → reflect → 2022
"Most opinion leaders have been declared 'foreign agents', 'extremists' or 'terrorists'.
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leaders → declare → ?
Several hundred," says Muratov.
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Muratov → say → ?
"Figures vary, but at a conservative estimate, since the start of Russia's 'special military operation' [in Ukraine] at least 1,500 people are now in prison having spoken out against current state policy.
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people → vary → policy
In his 1975 Nobel Peace Prize lecture dissident Andrei Sakharov listed the names of more than 120 political prisoners he was aware of in the Soviet Union.
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he → list → Union
A decade later Amnesty International estimated more than 600 prisoners of conscience in the USSR.
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International → estimate → USSR
What the Kremlin had assumed in 2022 would be a short, successful "military operation" has become the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
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assumed → assume → War
Yet a confident President Vladimir Putin continues to predict victory for Russia.
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Putin → continue → Russia
"There will never be 'victory'," counters Muratov.
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Muratov → counter → ?
"Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.
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it → go → years
"It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds.
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nations → rip → shreds
"It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it.
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you → seem → it
What do I mean by destroy?
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I → mean → destroy
Does he really believe the Kremlin leader would use nuclear weapons in this war?
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leader → believe → war
"All those political experts who say 'Putin thinks this' or 'Putin is scared of that'…they're all charlatans," claims Muratov.
uncertain
Muratov → say → that'
Nobody knows what's going on in Vladimir Putin's head.
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what → know → head
And I don't know.
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I → know → ?
"I see things only as a journalist.
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I → see → journalist
I study big data.
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I → study → data
And since the beginning of the year the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times.
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need → use → weapons
When wackos say this, I pay no attention.
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I → say → attention
But I've heard it discussed on state TV.
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it → hear → TV
And at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a state-run event, one of the speakers talked up the use of nuclear weapons as something favourable, something good."
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one → run → something
When he announced the mass invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin spoke of "ensuring the security of Russia."
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Putin → announce → Russia
"Tell me, has security increased?" Muratov asks.
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Muratov → tell → me
"With Ukrainian drones now attacking warehouses of [Russia's largest online retailer] Wildberries; with the petrol crisis, the disruption to mobile internet, the political prisoners?
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drones → attack → prisoners
Has security increased, or not?
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security → increase → ?
Despite opinion polls registering a fall in Putin's domestic approval ratings, Russia's president – Muratov believes - retains a tight grip on power.
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Muratov → register → power
…and 36 more, not listed.
The Aporia
