The Russian independent publication “Kedr” announced its closure

The independent publication “Kedr”, which covered environmental issues in Russia and abroad, announced its closure. The co-founder and editor-in-chief of the project, journalist Ivan Zhilin, reported this to Sibir.Realia.

According to him, “Kedr” turned out to be closed since the beginning of 2024, because interlocutors who publicly communicated with the publication began to receive threats from “foreign agencies”, including the previously known informer Anna Korobkova. “We cannot substitute speakers,” Ivan Zhilin said.

Part of the “Kedra” team has already launched a new publication devoted to ecological topics. It is called “Smola”, he added.

• The publication “Kedr” was launched in May 2022. Its co-founders are journalists Ivan Zhilin and Yulia Shchastlyvtseva. During the work, the editor talked about the consequences of the war for nature, the climate crisis, forest fires and other environmental problems in Russia.
• On November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Justice of Russia declared “Kedr” a “foreign agent”.
• Legislation on foreign agents in Russia appeared in 2012. The law allowed the Ministry of Justice to recognize non-profit organizations as agents if they receive funding from abroad and engage in political activity. The criteria by which such activity is determined are not clearly defined in the law, which allows the authorities to pursue organizations working in the fields of education, culture, health care, ecology, and protection of human rights.
• Subsequently, it became possible to recognize mass media and individuals as foreign agents, including those who do not receive foreign funding, but “are under foreign influence.” Russian legislation does not specify what exactly should be considered foreign influence.