Six of his colleagues were killed for reporting on the grievances in Russia. The remaining journalists from the Russian newspaper “Novaya Gazeta” received hostility, threats and attacks.
But editor-in-chief Dmitri Muratov (60) continues, tirelessly managing the last major newspaper in Russia that is not yet controlled by the Kremlin. For his courage and his commitment to freedom of expression, Muratow received the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
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BILD am SONNTAG met Muratov on Saturday in his editorial office in Moscow. The photos of his murdered colleagues hang on the wall. A memorial room has been set up for the journalist Anna Politkowskaja († 48) who was shot in her home in 2006.
The newspaper has been following developments on the border between Poland and Belarus for weeks. Muratov is convinced: “It can be assumed that Putin was informed by Lukashenko about his actions. It is no coincidence that the two countries are now holding joint military exercises, of all times. “
Putin’s possible goal: “That Belarus will become part of Russia by the Russian presidential election in 2024 in order to increase its popularity.” The conflict with the EU is just right there.
“However, the role of the EU must also be critically questioned,” Muratow continues. “For too long she let the dictator Lukashenko have his way, for too long Brussels watched him suppress dissenters, imprison and kill opposition groups.”
Instead of taking action, the EU traded with Belarus until the very end. “If blood flowed at the border during the refugee crisis, this conflict could last a very long time. And I believe that Lukashenko is ready to shed blood there. “
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