Meduza correspondent Ivan Golunov has identified the police officer who beat him after he was arrested on fabricated charges. During a live online interview with media personality Ksenia Sobchak, Golunov said the officer was named Maxim Umetbayev.
Golunov said Umetbayev punched him in the temple twice and then stomped on his chest after Golunov had fallen to the floor. This likely took place at the drug clinic where Golunov was taken from a police station for a medical inspection.
Golunov was arrested on the afternoon of June 6 in central Moscow on accusations of attempted drug distribution. Police who searched him found a packet of drugs that the journalist says they planted themselves. On June 11, Russian Internal Affairs Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev announced that the case against Golunov would be closed for lack of evidence.
Meduza survived 2024 thanks to its readers!
Let’s stick together for 2025.
The world is at a crossroads today, and quality journalism will help shape the decades to come. The real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.