Support The Moscow Times!

Criminal Case Opened Against Cops Who Arrested Russian Journalist Golunov

Ivan Golunov was arrested in June on drug charges he argued were fabricated and released days later after an unprecedented public outcry. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency

Russian investigators have launched a criminal case into abuse of power against police officers who detained investigative journalist Ivan Golunov last year, Golunov said Monday.

The Meduza investigative journalist was arrested in June on drug charges he argued were fabricated and released days later after an unprecedented public outcry. Police dropped all charges against him, but the drug case is still ongoing and efforts to apprehend the officers who arrested him had stagnated.

A senior investigator informed Golunov in a letter that authorities opened a criminal inquiry into exceeding powers, according to a photo of the letter posted on his social media. The letter was dated Dec. 18.

On Dec. 19, President Vladimir Putin announced criminal charges against five police officers who had arrested Golunov but didn’t specify which charges they were. 

Abuse of power charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years, if the defendants are found guilty. The letter did not indicate which or how many police officers would face charges.

Update: An investigator later informed Golunov that he has been named a victim in the abuse of power case, he wrote on social media.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more