Russian prosecutors on Wednesday (10 July) declared The Moscow Times newspaper 'undesirable' for its coverage of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, deepening the Kremlin's crackdown on independent journalism. This was reported by The Moscow Times itself. This stamp ensures that anyone working with or connected to the organisation can be prosecuted for it.
Russia has had a list of 'undesirable organisations' since 2015. Organisations on the list are considered a threat to national security and are banned from operating from Russia. It is also forbidden to distribute material from such organisations.
The Moscow Times was founded by Dutch journalist Derk Sauer in 1992. It operated from Russia until 2022. Then, shortly after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia introduced sweeping censorship laws. Previously, Russia had also labelled the Times a 'foreign agent'.
