// Russian independent media under attack The Pegasus attack was conducted within the larger context of attacks against Meduza and other Russian independent media organizations, at home and in exile. Timchenko and her colleagues founded Meduza in 2014, after the owner of Lenta.ru removed her as the chief editor for publishing an interview with the head of a Ukrainian nationalist group. The organization chose to base Meduza in Latvia, relying on digital technologies to reach audiences inside Russia. The publication became one of the first independent media outlets run by Russian journalists in exile to launch a mobile app as a means of circumventing Russian censorship. Meduza’s critical coverage did not, however, go unnoticed by Putin’s regime. In 2019, Russian police arrested Meduza journalist Ivan Golunov on fabricated drug charges. After public outcry, Golunov was subsequently released, and the police officers involved were sent to prison for the unlawful arrest. In 2021, the Russian government designated Meduza a “foreign agent,” a move condemned by the E.U. and media freedom organizations, among others. In March 2022, due to Meduza’s critical coverage of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and condemnation of the war, the government went even further and blocked Meduza’s website. Finally, in January 2023, Putin’s regime officially outlawed Meduza, classifying it an “undesirable organization,” a more serious designation. This action drew strong condemnation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), International Press Institute, European Federation of Journalists, and others. Other independent media organizations, such as TV Rain, The Insider, Novaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times , Mediazona, DOXA, as well as human rights NGOs, like Memorial, OVD-Info, Golos, Sakharov Center, and many others, have likewise faced escalating persecution in recent years, especially since Russia’s 2022 full scale invasion of Ukraine. They have been targeted under various designations, blocked, banned, and disbanded. In addition, Meduza, like many other Russian independent media and human rights organizations, was also heavily impacted by tech and financial companies’ over-compliance with sanctions against Russia. Blocked and criminalized in its own country, Meduza was unable to receive donations from supporters inside Russia due to Western payment services pulling out. Despite the enormous financial challenges, the organization continued to do its work. Horrifically, Russian independent journalists have also faced suspected poisoning attacks while seeking refuge in Europe. In October 2022, Elena Kostyuchenko, Novaya Gazeta and Meduza journalist, was allegedly poisoned in Germany. Her symptoms were similar to those experienced by other Russian journalists, activists, and dissidents criticizing Putin’s regime.