Freed journalist Ivan Golunov is granted witness protection

Meduza special correspondent Ivan Golunov has been granted witness protection in the drug dealing case in which he was previously a suspect, the journalist’s lawyer, Sergey Badamshin, told MBKh Media. On Saturday, June 16, investigators at Moscow’s police headquarters questioned Golunov as a witness in the case. Badamshin says the case is now effectively a fact-finding mission to review the actions of the police.

According to MBKh Media, the same protection was granted to journalists Tatyana Felgenhauer (after she was attacked in October 2017) and Oleg Kashin (after an attempt on his life in November 2010).

Police arrested Ivan Golunov on June 6 in the center of Moscow on charges of drug possession with intent to distribute. Golunov says drugs were planted in his backpack and his apartment, and he accuses police officers of beating him up in custody. A court placed him under house arrest, but on June 11 Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev abruptly announced that the case against Golunov had been dropped due to a lack of evidence against the journalist.