Russian Nobel-winning editor attacked with red paint

According to a Russian editor, he was attacked on a train by a guy who sprayed red paint on him because of his newspaper’s stance on Ukraine.

Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Laureate, told Novaya Gazeta Europe that “my eyes are burning severely” as a result of the attack, which he said occurred on a train from Moscow to Samara.

“Muratov, here’s one for our troops,” his assailant said, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe’s Telegram channel.

Mr Muratov and a railway cabin saturated in red liquid were photographed by the channel.

Novaya Gazeta Europe is a project started by newspaper employees after Novaya Gazeta, Russia’s main independent daily, was forced to close its doors last week due to government pressure.

It was Russia’s last major independent media organisation critical of President Vladimir Putin’s regime, and it has a long history of conflict with the Kremlin.

Others have had their websites shut down or restricted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, has issued a second official warning to Novaya Gazeta, which has recently acted more like a censor.
It’s not apparent why the publication was warned.

According to Roskomnadzor, the newspaper neglected to designate an unknown non-governmental organisation as a “foreign agent” in its reporting, as required by Russian legislation.

It made no mention of the report in question.

Since Moscow pushed soldiers into Ukraine in February, pressure has risen on liberal Russian media outlets, with most mainstream media and state-controlled organisations conforming closely to the Kremlin’s approach to characterise the crisis.

Several opposition activists have reported having threatening inscriptions sprayed on their apartment doors.

Mr Muratov, the long-serving editor of Novaya Gazeta, shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Maria Ressa, a Filipino writer.

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