Russia: Editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta arrested after search

The editor-in-chief of the independent Russian Novaya Gazeta, Sergei Sokolov, has been arrested, according to the newspaper. After a search of his apartment, he was taken away and taken to the Investigative Committee in Moscow, the newspaper wrote on the Telegram online service. The Investigative Committee is Russia's top law enforcement agency.

Contact with Sokolow broke off around lunchtime, shortly before an editorial meeting that he was supposed to chair. A lawyer is on the way to see him, the newspaper said. According to the journalist organization Reporters Without Borders, Sokolow was arrested in 2024 for “discrediting the armed forces.”

The state news agency TASS, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Sokolov was being questioned in connection with a case of "unlawful use of personal data."

Novaya Gazeta, founded in 1993, was Russia's leading independent media for many years and was under strong pressure because of its research into the human rights situation. After the offensive against Ukraine began in 2022, Russia introduced military censorship, after which the newspaper stopped domestic production. It continues to appear online. The Russian authorities classify them as so-called foreign agents.

Back in April, one of its journalists, Oleg Roldugin, was arrested on charges of misusing personal data. This carries a prison sentence of up to ten years. Roldugin is under house arrest awaiting trial.

The former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, was a co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and dedicated the award to six colleagues who were killed because of their work.