Novaya Gazeta journalist Oleg Roldugin sent to pre-trial detention

Novaya Gazeta journalist Oleg Roldugin sent to pre-trial detention

Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court placed the investigative journalist in custody in a case concerning the illegal use of personal data committed by a group of people.

🟧 Roldugin was detained on the morning of April 9. He was then taken in for questioning. His lawyer was not allowed to see him until the evening.

🟧 That same day, security officers came to search the Moscow newsroom of Novaya Gazeta in connection with his case. The investigative actions on the premises lasted about 13 hours. Throughout that time, lawyers were not allowed into the newsroom.

🟧 Soon afterward, the Moscow department of the Interior Ministry reported an investigation into a criminal case over the illegal use of personal data in articles “with negative content about Russian citizens”:

“In 2025–2026, search requests were made on private personal data storage resources to obtain citizens’ personal data, which was subsequently used to publish articles in Telegram channels.”

🟧 The agency did not state directly that Roldugin was the person in question. The media soon confirmed it.

🟧 It is still unknown what exactly the case is connected to. The defense lawyer said in court that neither she nor the journalist understands whose personal data, according to the investigation, he allegedly obtained illegally.

What Oleg Roldugin is known for

In 2022–2024, Roldugin was editor-in-chief of the newspaper Sobesednik, and before that he headed its investigations department for many years. Among other things, Sobesednik’s investigations department wrote that Dmitry Medvedev owns luxury real estate through foundations.

In September 2024, Sobesednik was declared a “foreign agent.” After that, the newspaper ceased operations.

In recent years, Roldugin worked at Novaya Gazeta. His investigations there covered people from Ramzan Kadyrov’s circle, real estate used by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, and Rossotrudnichestvo’s spending on work with foreign bloggers, journalists, politicians, and entrepreneurs.

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Oleg Roldugin in court / Photo: Mediazona