Novaya Gazeta said contact with its editor in chief, Sergei Sokolov, has been lost and his phones are disconnected, after officers of Sledkom, Russia’s federal investigative committee, searched his home and detained him, France 24 and the TT news agency reported. No charge against Sokolov had been announced at write time, and the paper, which the Russian authorities have labelled a foreign agent, gave no indication of where he is being held. Sokolov took over the paper in 2023 from Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who stepped aside after being designated a foreign agent himself.
Russia detains Novaya Gazeta editor in chief after home search
Russian authorities have detained Sergei Sokolov, the editor in chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, after a search of his home, and the paper says contact with him has been lost.
Why it matters: Novaya Gazeta is the most prominent independent newsroom still operating inside Russia, and the detention of its editor marks a further step in the wartime dismantling of the country's remaining free press.
Data as of Reported October 15, 2026. Both reports rest on Novaya Gazeta's own account; no Russian official statement or charge was available at write time, hence grade C.
Sources
- Russia detains independent outlet Novaya Gazeta editor Sergei Sokolov · France 24 · 2026-10-15
- Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov Reportedly Arrested in Russia · Sweden Herald (TT News Agency) · 2026-10-15