Unknown Attacker Sprayed Red Paint Over Russian Nobel Laureate Muratov

A photo published on the Novaya Gazeta Europe Telegram channel shows Nobel Peace Prize-winning newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov taking a selfie after he described being attacked on a Russian train by a man who sprayed him with red paint, in Moscow, April 7, 2022.

Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, a leading independent newspaper in Russia, says he was assaulted by someone who threw acetone and red paint at him. The attack took place on Thursday aboard a train heading from Moscow to Samara when Muratova, co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, was on board.

Muratov was photographed by the newspaper on Telegram covered in paint on his head, shirt, hands, and arms. Muratov reported hearing the attacker shout, "Muratov, here's to you for our boys." New European edition of Novaya Gazeta reports that he suffered burns to his eyes as a result of the incident.

In response to warnings from Russian authorities, Novaya Gazeta, a leading independent Russian publication, suspended operations last month. In its report, the newspaper said it had been warned twice by Roskomnadzor, which meant that the state communications regulator was willing to pursue the closure of the independent outlet via legal means.

An earlier report stated that journalists from Novaya Gazeta, who fled Russia as part of an ongoing crackdown on independent reporting, have established a new media outlet that aims to report on news and events in Russia and around the globe in Russian and other languages.

In a statement on the publication's website, the publication announced that Kirill Martynov would be the new editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe. Martynov is currently the editor of the political issues unit at Novaya Gazeta. A location for the newspaper was not specified in the statement.

Russia has imposed strict restrictions on the way media outlets can portray the conflict with Ukraine. The regulator says the media must adhere to government communications only in regard to what Moscow refers to as a "special military operation." Use of the words "war" or "invasion" in regard to the fighting in Ukraine is prohibited.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law legislation early in March that punishes journalists who distribute inaccurate information about the Russian Army in their reports about Ukraine with a prison sentence of up to 15 years. The Kremlin has also blocked multiple foreign news outlets, including RFE/RL, in addition to several Russian news outlets that have suspended operations rather than dealing with heavy restrictions.