13:15, 16 April 2026

The editor-in-chief of Sapa did not admit guilt in bribery.

Alina Dzhikayeva, charged with bribery of a police officer, pleaded not guilty. An officer on duty at the Makhachkala Department of Internal Affairs admitted to abuse of power and accepting a bribe.

"Caucasian Knot" reported that searches were conducted at the editorial office of the Telegram channel "Sapa" in Vladikavkaz on the morning of April 14. The employees were released only that evening. The Investigative Committee stated that the project's editor-in-chief, Alina Dzhikayeva, and a police officer from Makhachkala were detained on charges of bribery and bribery, respectively. The police officer is also suspected of abuse of power: according to investigators, he paid Dzhikaeva for information about incidents in Dagestan and North Ossetia, along with the personal information of those involved.

"Sapa" is a network of Telegram channels dedicated to news from North Ossetia, South Ossetia, and the entire North Caucasus. The project positioned itself as a "regional independent media outlet," publishing exclusive news about incidents, crime reports, and stories about the lives of ordinary people, as noted by the channel "Govorit NeMoskva" (recognized as a foreign agent).

The editor-in-chief of the Telegram channel "Sapa" and the duty officer of the police department of the Makhachkala Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia have been charged, the Moscow Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia reported today.

According to investigators, no later than July 2020, while in Moscow, Dzhikaeva, in accordance with an agreement reached with the duty officer of the Makhachkala Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, received information about incidents and operational situations in the Republic of Dagestan and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, containing personal information about citizens. From July 2020 to June 2025, a police officer received a bribe of over 250,000 rubles from Dzhikaeva for illegal actions.

Investigators from the Moscow Investigative Committee have charged Dzhikaeva with bribery (Part 4 of Article 291 of the Russian Criminal Code). During questioning, the accused did not admit guilt.

The police duty officer, who was accused of abuse of office and bribery, pleaded guilty.

The investigator's petition for the arrest of the accused will be considered today by the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422498