Russia declares newspaper The Moscow Times ‘undesirable’ amid crackdown on criticism

The Russian prosecutor general’s office has declared The Moscow Times newspaper to be an “undesirable organization.” The designation means the newspaper popular with those in Russia’s expatriate community must stop any work in Russia. It also subjects any Russian who cooperates with the paper to up to five years in prison. It is a more severe measure than the “foreign agent” designation applied to the news outlet in November. The Moscow Times already moved its editorial operations out of Russia in 2022 after the passage of a law imposing stiff penalties for material regarded as discrediting the Russian military and its war in Ukraine.