Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov Searched

Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov Searched

After the search, Sokolov was taken to the Investigative Committee. Contact with him was lost around noon, just before an editorial planning meeting.

According to Baza, the search is connected to the case against Novaya journalist Oleg Roldugin. He is charged under the article on the unlawful use and storage of personal data (Article 272.1 of the Criminal Code). In April, Roldugin was remanded in pretrial detention and later transferred to house arrest.

What was said about the application of the article

Article 272.1 of the Criminal Code was introduced in late 2024. One of its authors, Alexander Khinshtein, claimed at the time that it did not apply to journalists.

“A journalist acts under the media law and may use a wide variety of methods to obtain and verify information,”

he said in response to a question about whether a journalist could be held liable for obtaining data through a bot.

UPDATE: Sergei Sokolov has returned to the newsroom from the Investigative Committee. He is a witness in Oleg Roldugin’s case. The Novaya editor-in-chief cannot disclose details of the questioning or investigative actions because he signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Sergei Sokolov / Photo: Novaya Gazeta

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