Baza Editor-in-Chief Gleb Trifonov Arrested on Bribery Charges Amid Ongoing Investigation

Law enforcement authorities have accused Gleb Trifonov, the editor-in-chief of the Telegram news channel Baza, of bribery, as reported by the state-owned TASS news agency on Wednesday, referencing his lawyer and sources familiar with the situation.

Trifonov, who has been at the helm of Baza since 2022, was detained on Tuesday following police searches of his residence and the outlet’s Moscow office.

A source from TASS revealed that both Trifonov and Baza producer Tatyana Lukyanova are facing bribery charges, which they refute.

“After my client was held for about 20 hours, first outside and then inside the building of the Central Administrative District Investigative Committee, he was formally charged with bribery,” confirmed Trifonov’s attorney, Alexei Mikhalchik, in a statement to TASS.

According to TASS, law enforcement plans to seek a court order to keep Trifonov and Lukyanova in custody throughout the investigation. Mikhalchik expressed his belief that the detention was a means to pressure the journalist.

Investigators assert that Trifonov was implicated in making payments to police officers in the Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, and Belgorod regions in return for sensitive information.

“They received updates from law enforcement personnel through online messaging services about emergencies and their consequences, and subsequently made payments,” a law enforcement insider disclosed to TASS.

Baza, which has over 1.6 million followers on Telegram, is recognized for its strong connections with law enforcement and often relies on anonymous police sources in its reporting. Additionally, the channel exhibits pro-government sentiments.