12 Facts About Andrei Soldatov

Andrei Alekseyevich Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert.

Andrei Soldatov graduated from the journalism department of Moscow State Social University, since renamed the Russian State Social University.

Andrei Soldatov has since become editor and Irina Borogan deputy editor of the Agentura.

Andrei Soldatov covered the Beslan siege for Echo Moskvy and Moscow News.

Andrei Soldatov regularly appears as a commentator on terrorism and intelligence issues for Vedomosti, Radio Free Europe and the BBC.

Andrei Soldatov has been interrogated four times by the Investigative Department of the FSB based in Lefortovo.

In June 2008 Andrei Soldatov was questioned by the FSB in Lefortovo over the interview of the former SVR officer Sergei Tretyakov, who defected to the US in 2000.

In December 2005, Andrei Soldatov published with Irina Borogan the book New patriot games.

Andrei Soldatov is the author of the chapter on Russia's secret services.

Andrei Soldatov wrote about new developments in Russia in tougher control of social networks and in surveillance on the Internet.

On January 22,2014, Mr Andrei Soldatov provided testimony on Russian surveillance practices before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament.

In December 2015, in the British newspaper The Guardian, Andrei Soldatov warned the world's biggest networks as Twitter, Google and Facebook not to give in to Russian president Vladimir Putin's demand to host their servers in Russia.