Russian authorities in Vladikavkaz have detained Alina Dzhikaeva, the editor-in-chief of Sapa, a media outlet and a series of Telegram channels, on charges of bribing a police officer for information.
Dhizakeva was detained on Tuesday after a raid of Sapa’s offices. According to the media outlet, unidentified individuals in plain clothes entered the premises, after which contact with editorial staff was lost. The searches lasted for more than six hours.
Later that evening, Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed Dzhikaeva’s arrest alongside an officer from the Interior Ministry in Daghestan. According to investigators, the journalist received official information from the police officer about incidents and the operational situation in Daghestan and North Ossetia, including personal data, and used it in the outlet’s publications.
The Investigative Committee stated that the dissemination of such information could have ‘facilitated the destruction of evidence’ and hindered criminal investigations, as well as violated citizens’ rights.
Authorities said that the arrangement between the two was established no later than July 2020. From that time until June 2025, the police officer allegedly passed on information in exchange for payment. According to investigators, the total amount of bribes exceeded ₽250,000 ($3,300).
A criminal case has been opened under several articles, including giving and receiving bribes, as well as abuse of office. Dzhikaeva and the second suspect have been transferred to Moscow for further investigative actions.
As part of the investigation, searches were conducted not only at the editorial office but also at the homes of the suspects in Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala. Investigators seized documents and electronic devices they believed were relevant to the case.
The Sapa project positions itself as an independent regional media outlet and a network of Telegram channels covering developments in the North Caucasus. However, some sources claim that Sapa has long had links to law enforcement. The editorial team stated that they do not understand the reasons for the authorities’ interest and pointed to a discrepancy between the alleged timeline of the case and the creation of the outlet: Sapa was launched only in 2023. Before that, Dzhikaeva worked for the Russian media outlet Life, which also specialises in obtaining operational information from law enforcement sources.
In addition, according to witnesses, when law enforcement officers arrived at Dzhikaeva’s home, they told her relatives that she was suspected of acts of fraud.
‘What involvement the other staff members of the Ossetian office of Sapa have in this remains unclear. According to preliminary information, several employees were taken to the Centre for Countering Extremism of the Interior Ministry, although this has not been confirmed. Relatives do not know their whereabouts’, Sapa journalists wrote.
According to Zaur Farniev, a detained Sapa employee, a lawyer for correspondent Elena Cherenkova was not allowed into the Centre for Countering Extremism, where officers claimed she was not present. Cherenkova’s husband filed an abduction report, as her whereabouts were unknown until the evening of her disappearance. According to colleagues, she had been detained in the morning while having coffee with a friend.
‘I very much hope the situation will soon become clear and that we will stop worrying about our colleagues. In addition to Sapa staff, two employees of Eyes Tour — a travel agency also owned by Dzhikaeva — were detained. It has nothing to do with journalism. One of them has been released, while the other remains in custody’, Farniev said.
