Court Revokes House Arrest for Blogger Nikolai Lebedev
Controversial blogger Nikolai Lebedev, known as Nekoglai, is accused of drug trafficking. He had been moved to house arrest, but will now return to a cell at Penitentiary No. 13.
The Chisinau Court of Appeal made the decision today. Nekoglai spent only a few days under the comfort of house arrest. After prosecutors challenged the easing of his detention conditions, he will now await trial in prison.
Police detained Nekoglai and his wife in September. According to the article, he resisted arrest while his wife tried to flee. During a search of their apartment, officers reportedly found what the author calls a drug dealer’s “complete toolkit”: drugs, scales, a grinder and phones.
The article also alleges that the couple sold drugs and actively promoted them online. Investigators say Lebedev and his wife ran social media accounts with more than 12 million followers. According to the investigation, they used these accounts to promote drug use and openly advertise illegal substances.
Nekoglai also has a political background. In 2022, Russia deported him over a video in which he mocked a wounded Russian soldier. The author claims that, after this incident, Nekoglai became a figure favoured by the current authorities.
This is how life under the current government looks, the author argues. The lawfully elected Bashkan of Gagauzia and other people described as political prisoners remain behind bars. Meanwhile, a drug-trafficking suspect who shares the authorities’ ideological outlook has benefited from lenient treatment by the courts.
The article ends with a pointed question: could Nekoglai be released as soon as his trial ends?
