Putin fires two Moscow police generals over Ivan Golunov's arrest

Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order firing two police generals, Moscow Counter-Narcotics Police Department head Yuri Devyatkin and Moscow Western Administrative Okrug Police Chief Andrey Puchkov.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev demanded their dismissal, after he closed the criminal case against Meduza correspondent Ivan Golunov.

On June 6, police in Moscow’s Western Administrative Okrug arrested Ivan Golunov on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Prosecutors wanted Golunov sent to a remand prison while they built their case against him, but a judge placed Golunov under house arrest. On June 11, the Interior Ministry announced that there was no evidence to support the charges against him, and closed the case.