Oct 15 (Reuters) – The editor-in-chief of Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta was questioned by investigators in Moscow on Thursday in connection with a criminal case against a colleague, the outlet said.
The TASS state news agency, citing law enforcement sources, said Sergei Sokolov was being questioned in a case regarding the “unlawful use of personal data” following a search at his home.
Novaya Gazeta said investigators had brought in Sokolov in connection with a case against his colleague, journalist Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April on allegations that he misused personal data, an offence that carries a prison term of up to 10 years. Roldugin is under house arrest awaiting trial.
A spokeswoman for Novaya Gazeta, Nadezhda Prusenkova, told Reuters that no charges were filed against Sokolov on Thursday.
Founded in 1993, Novaya Gazeta is one of Russia’s leading investigative media organisations, known for its investigations into corruption and its critical coverage of Russian politics.
A former editor-in-chief of the outlet, Dmitry Muratov, shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and dedicated the award to six colleagues who were killed because of their work.
Russia has tightened its censorship laws and increased pressure on independent media since it launched its war in Ukraine in 2022. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders says 50 journalists and media workers are currently imprisoned in the country.
Russian authorities on Tuesday detained a Japanese journalist on suspicion of espionage, the most high-profile detainment of a foreign reporter since the 2023 detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich.
(Reporting by Lucy PapachristouEditing by Ros Russell)
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