The editor-in-chief of Octagon was detained in Moscow. Media» by Igor Ryabov. This was reported by SHOT and TASS sources.
According to the interlocutors of the agency and the telegram channel, a search was carried out in Ryabov’s apartment, after which he was taken away for interrogation. SHOT clarifies that it is against the editor-in-chief of Octagon. Media» filed a criminal case for libel (Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code). Together with Ryabov, his subordinate Maria Gaiko was detained.
Ryabov and Gaiko, as SHOT and BRIEF write, were administrators of the “Image of the Future” telegram channel. According to publications, there are employees of Octagon. Media» published a «list of sponsors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine», which, along with well-known oppositionists and artists who left Russia, allegedly included the wife of the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, Irina. Later, her name was removed from there, and the security forces, as regional media reported in the summer, opened a criminal case for libel against Drozdenko.
“Octagon. Media» appeared in 2020 in Yekaterinburg. Then the pro-government publication, which was associated with the owner of Tsargrad, Konstantin Malofeev, was going to compete, in particular, with Meduza.
Head of the Supervisory Board of Octagon. Media» — political scientist Sergei Mikheev, who regularly appears on propaganda programs on state channels.