Russian authorities raid Telegram news channels
(MENAFN) Russian authorities conducted a police raid on the offices of Baza, one of the country’s most prominent Telegram news channels, resulting in bribery charges against its editor-in-chief and a senior reporter.
Baza, which boasts over 1.6 million subscribers and ranks 15th among Russian Telegram news channels, is well-known for often using anonymous police sources in its stories.
The channel confirmed the raid, reporting that officers confiscated boxes of documents and computers, while several staff members were taken in for questioning. Video footage showed plainclothes officers removing materials from the newsroom and masked police searching the premises.
Earlier on the same day, police also searched the apartment of Baza’s editor-in-chief, Gleb Trifonov, who was subsequently detained. Producer Tatyana Lukyanova was reportedly taken into custody as well.
Investigators allege that both Trifonov and Lukyanova purchased official information from police sources and then published it on Telegram. The two face bribery charges, according to media citing investigative authorities.
Trifonov’s lawyer, Alexei Mikhalchik, confirmed the charges and stated, “After about 20 hours in custody, my client was charged with bribery. He pleaded not guilty.” Lukyanova also denies any wrongdoing. Reports indicate that both admitted to occasionally paying for videos and information, but only concerning sports and social events.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
