Full Breakdown
Detention of Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On Thursday, Russian law-enforcement officers raided the Moscow apartment of Sergei Sokolov, the editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and took him to the Investigative Committee for questioning. The newspaper reported losing contact with Sokolov around noon, just before he was to chair an editorial planning meeting. A lawyer was dispatched to assist him.
Background and Press Context
Novaya Gazeta has long been regarded as a bastion of independent journalism in Russia. The outlet is designated a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities and halted its print edition after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when Moscow introduced strict censorship laws that forced many independent journalists into exile.
Investigation Details and Related Arrests
Law-enforcement sources told the RBC outlet that the raid formed part of a criminal investigation opened earlier in the spring, focusing on the alleged illegal use of personal information. The same investigation led to the April charging of the newspaper’s managing editor, Oleg Roldugin, with the same offense. Roldugin, a veteran investigative journalist, denies having illegally obtained or published personal data. A Telegram channel linked to Russian security services suggested Roldugin may have acted under Sokolov’s instructions.
Official Reactions
Novaya Gazeta announced that Sokolov was being transported to the Investigative Committee and that a lawyer was on the way. The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement urging Russian authorities to release Roldugin and to halt what it described as targeted prosecution of the newspaper.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Sergei Sokolov, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, is being taken to the Investigative Committee following a search of his home,” — Novaya Gazeta