The UK and Finland, as co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, called on Russia to end its repression of independent media following the closure of Novaya Gazeta, according to a joint statement published on 9 November 2026. The statement said the prominent independent Russian newspaper had ceased operations inside the country after more than 30 years.

The statement described the closure as a stark reminder of sustained pressure on independent journalism in Russia. It said Novaya Gazeta and its journalists had for decades reported on corruption, repression and human rights abuses, often at great personal risk, and it remembered reporters whose work cost them their lives, including Anna Politkovskaya.

According to the statement, Russian authorities continue to use repressive legislation against media freedom, and independent journalists face arrest, detention, harassment and political imprisonment. The two countries expressed solidarity with journalists and media workers in Russia and in exile, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including unlawfully imprisoned journalists. They urged Russia to let journalists work freely and safely and to uphold its international human rights obligations.