The searches at the Novaya Gazeta editorial office were prompted by a case involving personal data.

Searchs are underway at the Moscow editorial office of Novaya Gazeta, and lawyers are not allowed into the building. One of the men was carried out of the building on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Investigators have announced a criminal case for the illegal use, transfer, collection, and storage of personal data.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on March 28, 2022, Novaya Gazeta announced it was suspending publication of its print edition, having already received a warning from Roskomnadzor. Roskomnadzor explained that the warning was related to a violation of the law on foreign agents. On July 26, Roskomnadzor filed a lawsuit in Moscow's Basmanny Court demanding the annulment of Novaya Gazeta's registration as a media outlet. The lawsuit was upheld. In September, the Supreme Court of Russia, acting on Roskomnadzor's suit, ruled to suspend the electronic media registration certificate issued to Novaya Gazeta's website. On November 17, the Novaya Gazeta website stopped working in Russia.

Searchs at the Moscow office of Novaya Gazeta are related to a criminal case opened under the article on the illegal use, transfer, collection, and storage of personal data. Investigative actions are underway at the newspaper, RBC reported today.

According to messages on Novaya Gazeta's Telegram channel, the investigative actions began at noon.

"At approximately 12:00 PM, masked security officers arrived at the Novaya Gazeta office in Moscow and began investigative actions. We do not know the reason—the editorial office's lawyers are not allowed into the office, where some of the staff are also located," the message stated.

As of 5:00 PM, investigative actions at the Novaya Gazeta office are ongoing. The lawyers were still not allowed in. There is still no contact with colleagues.

According to news agencies, the searches at the editorial office may be connected to the case against Novaya Gazeta columnist Oleg Roldugin. However, we can neither confirm nor deny this information. All we know is that the morning after the search of his apartment, he was taken to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow for questioning. As of 5:00 PM, the publication states, his lawyer was still not allowed to see him.

Lawyer Kaloy Akhilgov reported on his Telegram channel that he was not allowed into the Novaya Gazeta editorial office. "I went to the editorial office. Masked men wouldn't let me in – they said I was too odious to be allowed in. No joke," he wrote.

The searches at the Moscow editorial office of Novaya Gazeta are connected to a criminal case opened under the article on the illegal use, transfer, collection, and storage of personal data, reports RBC.

The Investigative Committee of Russia for Moscow reported that the case was opened on March 10. "A criminal case has been opened under Article 272.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for the illegal use, transfer, collection, and storage of computer information containing personal data," the agency said in a statement.

During monitoring of the media and the internet, police officers found that information resources containing personal data are being used in the preparation of news articles and materials with negative content regarding Russian citizens. In 2025-2026, Searches were conducted on private personal data storage resources to obtain citizens' personal data, which was subsequently used to post articles in Telegram channels, the statement stated.

According to the department, it was possible to "identify the circle of individuals who accessed illegal information resources for personal data." The statement stated that searches are ongoing, but did not provide the name of the organization.

According to TASS, Novaya Gazeta is being investigated for connections to the "Anti-War Committee"*, which includes Kirill Martynov**, who heads another publication, Novaya Gazeta Evropa***.

* is designated a terrorist organization and its activities are banned in Russia.

** is listed as a foreign agent.

*** is considered an undesirable organization in Russia.

**** Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.