Russian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov said Thursday that “the world must hear this sound” of the Kremlin’s war on Kyiv following an incident where Ukrainian journalists played the sound of an air-raid warning during his speech earlier this week.
Muratov, the chief editor of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was speaking earlier this week at the Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany when his speech was interrupted by the sound of an air-raid siren.
“Ukrainian journalists turned on the air-raid alarm on their smartphones. Standing on the podium, I thought it was a technical problem. No, it was not a technical problem. If I knew, I'd have interrupted the speech and asked for the sound of the siren to be amplified,” Muratov said in a statement published by Novaya Gazeta.
“The world needs to hear this sound of war, and for this, any place is appropriate,” Muratov said, adding that he has no complaints and treated the incident with “understanding.”
During his speech in Bonn, Muratov said that one of the results of the war was that “never again will Ukraine and Russia be together,” and that “these peoples will never be fraternal peoples.”
Muratov also spoke about the media landscape in Russia, domestic repressions and political prisoners.
Novaya Gazeta, whose war coverage did not follow the Kremlin's narrative of the conflict, was forced to suspend publication shortly after the February 2022 invasion.
Last year Muratov, a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, auctioned off his 2021 Nobel Peace Prize gold medal for $103.5 million to benefit children displaced by the invasion.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
