Oleg Roldugin

Oleg Vladimirovich Roldugin is a Russian investigative journalist, executive director of Novaya Gazeta and the last editor-in-chief of the newspaper Sobesednik before it ceased operations in 2024. His reporting has focused on investigations involving officials, law-enforcement structures and other powerful public figures. After Sobesednik closed, Roldugin continued working for Novaya Gazeta, publishing, among other topics, investigations concerning people around Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and figures associated with the development of the Max messenger.

Police searched Roldugin’s home on April 9, 2026, and took him to the Moscow police investigative directorate. On the same day, officers conducted a search lasting approximately 13 hours at Novaya Gazeta’s newsroom. On April 10, Judge Alexandra Lashina of Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court ordered him held in pre-trial detention.

On April 14, investigators formally charged Roldugin under paragraph “v” of Part 3 of Article 272.1 of the Russian Criminal Code. The provision criminalizes certain unlawful operations involving computerized personal data when committed by a group acting by prior agreement.

The Interior Ministry alleges that private databases containing personal information were searched while preparing publications. Roldugin has said in court that he believes the prosecution is connected to his investigative journalism. Novaya Gazeta has argued that the case effectively targets journalists’ use of leaked databases for public-interest reporting. That is the newspaper’s position; no court has yet ruled on the merits of the allegation.

On June 2, Judge Sergei Komlev granted an investigative request to transfer Roldugin from pre-trial detention to house arrest. On September 2, Judge Alexei Krivoruchko extended the house arrest until November 10, 2026. The case remains under investigation and no verdict has been issued.