Denis Allayarov, editor of the URA.RU agency, has been detained for two months, until August 4, by order of the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg.

The investigation alleges that Allayarov bribed his uncle, Andrei Karpov, the former head of the criminal investigation department of Police Department No. 10 in Yekaterinburg, with 20,000 rubles.

Karpov himself is already under house arrest, awaiting the court’s consideration of his case.

Allayarov faces up to eight years in prison if convicted. He denies the accusation, claiming it is a provocation and that he was simply doing his job.

On June 5, security forces searched the URA.RU head office, as well as the residences of Allayarov and two other journalists, Sergei Bodrov and Anna Salymskaya.

The investigation is reportedly linked to a case under Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, concerning “Abuse of power out of mercenary or other personal interest.”