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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 12 June 2019

Russian journalist freed after police abruptly drop charges

By NATALIYA VASILYEVA his family. But since Golu-
FRANCESCA EBEL nov’s work mostly focused
Associated Press on Moscow City Hall and
MOSCOW (AP) — In a stun- the city’s crime-ridden fu-
ning turnaround, Russian neral industry, the case
authorities Tuesday abrupt- raised questions about a
ly dropped all charges possible shift in where the
against a prominent investi- red lines are drawn in Rus-
gative reporter after a pub- sian journalism.
lic and media outcry over Award-winning journalist
his arrest, and they prom- Roman Badanin was oust-
ised to go after the po- ed from three major edito-
lice who allegedly tried to rial positions between 2011
frame him as a drug dealer. and 2016 after the media
The release of Ivan Golu- outlets under his leader-
nov marked an extremely ship touched on topics be-
rare case of security offi- lieved to be too sensitive
cials admitting a mistake. for the Kremlin.
It also highlighted the diffi- Three top editors at the
culties that Russian journal- business newspaper RBC,
ists routinely face when re- including Badanin, were
porting on sensitive topics ousted in 2016 after report-
like graft, corruption and Prominent Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov, centre, gestures as he leaves a ing on Putin’s inner circle,
President Vladimir Putin’s Investigative Committee building in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. including an investigative
personal life. Associated Press piece about an oyster farm
The 36-year-old Golunov crime.” “I believe that the that the chances for crimi- gin, investigative reporter near a mansion that a whis-
was stopped Thursday by rights of any citizen, what- nal charges to be dropped at Novaya Gazeta. “But it tleblower has described as
police on a Moscow street ever his professional affilia- or an acquittal once a really is impossible to work “Putin’s palace.”
and taken into custody, tion, ought to be protect- person is in custody are ex- in this environment.” To Badanin, the crackdown
where his defense team ed,” the minister said, add- tremely slim. When it does The circumstances of Golu- on Golunov stands out be-
said he was beaten and ing that he will ask Putin to happen, authorities tend to nov’s detention alarmed cause it lower-level deci-
denied a lawyer for more dismiss two police generals, avoid taking any blame. others in the media. In sion-makers, rather than
than 12 hours. The journalist, including the drug chief of “When the authorities ad- an apparent attempt to the Kremlin or government-
who works for the indepen- the Moscow police, and mit their mistakes, admit portray him as a profes- connected tycoons, were
dent website Meduza, had suspend the officers who the mistakes of the law sional drug dealer, police likely behind it.
been facing drug charges detained Golunov. enforcement officials and on Friday released several “Ivan’s case tells us that
that could put him in prison Speaking outside police correct them, that’s very photos, reportedly from his now violence or unlawful
for up to 20 years. headquarters, a shy and good because it shows home, of what appeared actions against journalists
Supporters mounted a na- shocked-looking Golunov that the government is rea- to be a drug lab. They later can be applied at a lower
tionwide campaign on his said he still couldn’t believe sonable,” Alexei Venedik- retracted the statement, level, not just by the Krem-
behalf, with journalists and he was cleared so quickly. tov, editor-in-chief of the saying that the photos lin,” he told The Associated
others picketing Moscow “I will keep doing investiga- influential Ekho Moskvy ra- were taken elsewhere. Press.
police headquarters for tions to justify the trust of all dio station, told the Interfax In a separate statement In act of journalistic solidar-
five days. More than 20,000 those who supported me,” news agency. later, the police said they ity not seen for at least 15
people signed an online he said. It is not yet clear if the po- found cocaine at Golu- years, RBC and two other
pledge to march in the He added that he hopes lice reversal represented a nov’s home. A judge put major papers, Kommersant
capital on Wednesday, a the police will stop trying turning point for the many him under house arrest Sat- and Vedomosti, published
public holiday, to protest to frame innocent people, Russian journalists who are urday following a public identical front pages on
Golunov’s arrest. adding: “I hope it will not routinely attacked or face outcry of support, including Monday with the headline
But Interior Minister Vladi- happen to anyone else in government pressure for from high-profile journalists “I am/We are Ivan Golu-
mir Kolokoltsev surprised our country.” their work. Many of them working for state-owned nov,” and called for a trans-
the nation when he an- In an unusual broadcast, say they don’t feel safe to media. parent investigation of his
nounced that all charges his release was shown live operate and report freely. Many Russian journalists case. The newspapers all
against Golunov were on a state-controlled 24- “We have put the pressure have to tread carefully in had first-hand experience
dropped after police found hour news channel. on the system and it worked their work, especially when of government pressure
“no proof of his part in a Judicial statistics indicate this time,” said Pavel Kany- reporting about Putin and and indirect censorship.q