Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspaper Novaya Gazeta Sergei Sokolov Detained in Moscow

Russian law enforcement officers on Thursday, October 15, raided the Moscow apartment of Sergei Sokolov, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and then took him in for questioning. The case continues a criminal investigation involving the publication, which operates in Russia under strict censorship laws.

What happened

According to the newspaper, contact with Sokolov was lost at around noon Moscow time, shortly before he was due to lead an editorial planning meeting. The editorial team said he was being taken to the Investigative Committee, Russia's top investigative body, and that a lawyer was on the way to assist him.

The search was carried out as part of a criminal case opened earlier this spring, law enforcement sources told the Russian outlet RBC. Sources told the state news agency TASS that the investigation centers on the illegal use of personal information.

Earlier case

Novaya Gazeta's managing editor Oleg Roldugin was charged with the same offense in April this year. Roldugin, a veteran investigative journalist known for reporting on alleged corruption among senior Russian officials, denies that he illegally obtained and published personal data.

Baza, a Telegram news channel with links to Russian security services, reported that Roldugin was suspected of acting either in coordination with Sokolov or on his instructions.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Russian law enforcement to release Roldugin immediately and to stop what it described as the targeted prosecution of Novaya Gazeta.

The newspaper's situation

Novaya Gazeta stopped print publication shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after the government introduced harsh censorship laws as part of a wider crackdown on the press. The outlet continues to publish articles and videos online.