A Russian legal news website called Advokatskaya Ulitsa announced on Monday that it will cease operations at the end of this month due to its “foreign agent” status.
According to Katerina Gorbunova, the website’s editor-in-chief, “After Ulitsa was added to the [foreign agent] registry, I, as the publisher, had few options for continuing the project’s work,” and she expressed dissatisfaction with the available options. She attributes the closure of the independent outlet to its “foreign agent” status.
In April, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Advokatskaya Ulitsa as a “foreign agent,” claiming that the outlet’s news coverage “created a negative image of Russia, its current legislation, and law enforcement practices.”
Advokatskaya Ulitsa, which was established in 2019 and funded by lawyers, has focused on reporting issues related to the legal profession.
The “foreign agent” label, which carries negative associations from the Soviet era, imposes strict labeling and auditing requirements on organizations.
In recent years, the Kremlin has labeled hundreds of journalists, activists, and civil society figures as foreign agents as part of its extensive crackdown on independent media and the opposition.
Last week, President Putin defended Russia’s “foreign agent” law, asserting that it is “more liberal” compared to similar legislation in the United States.
