JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 07, 2019
Join our WhatsApp channelMOSCOW—Russia has detained an investigative journalist for drugs offences, prompting protests on Friday as supporters condemned the charges as trumped-up and suggested they were punishment for his reporting.
Ivan Golunov, a reporter with Meduza, an independent Russian-language media outlet, was detained in central Moscow on Thursday and police have opened a probe into manufacturing and dealing drugs.
A police spokesman said a 36-year-old man he did not identify had been detained with five packages of mephedrone, a designer drug.
Supporters said the drugs had been planted on him.
Reporters Without Borders warned Golunov's arrest could mark "a significant escalation in the persecution" of independent journalists in Russia.
Police on Friday briefly arrested several prominent reporters as they protested with placards in the front of the headquarters of the Moscow police, including author Viktor Shenderovich and Pavel Kanygin of the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
"I am a journalist. Arrest me too," said one of the placards carried by the reporters, while another read: "A journalist is a drug kingpin. Who would believe this madness?".
"We have reasons to believe that Golunov is being persecuted for his journalistic work," Meduza general director Galina Timchenko and Editor-in-Chief Ivan Kolpakov said in a statement.
They described Golunov as "one of Russia's most famous investigative journalists" and said he had received threats in recent months.
The Meduza website is based in EU member Latvia to circumvent censorship from Moscow, but some of its journalists live in Russia.
"Everything indicates that the authorities are planting drugs on their targets to shut them up with a jail sentence," said Natalia Zvyagina, Director of Amnesty International's branch in Russia.
In his investigations, Golunov zeroed in on everything from Russia's shady funeral industry to corruption in Moscow city hall.
The journalist's lawyer Dmitry Dzhulai said police claimed they found packages containing drugs in Golunov's backpack and apartment.
"There are a lot of facts signalling that the drugs have been planted," the lawyer told AFP.
He said the journalist had been beaten while in detention and pointed to numerous violations including a refusal by investigators to take swabs of Golunov's fingernails and backpack to check for the handling of drugs.
"He was detained at 2.30 pm yesterday and I only got a call at 4.30 am," Dzhulai said.
During his two decades in power Russian President Vladimir Putin has silenced most of his critics and muzzled independent media.
The few opposition and independent media that still operate in Russia are under huge pressure, Kremlin critics say.
Golunov's arrest sparked wide outrage.
Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center said Golunov was a close friend and did not take stimulants because he did not like an "altered state of mind."
Johann Bihr, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, pointed to "the police's highly suspicious behaviour".
"If such methods were indeed used against such a prominent journalist...it would mark a significant escalation in the persecution of independent journalism in Russia," he said.
In an open letter, hundreds of Russian journalists demanded Golunov's immediate release.
"We believe that Ivan Golunov has become a target of a crude and ludicrous provocation," it said.—AFP
February 09, 2025: Hum News Network becomes the first Pakistani channel to embrace AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, enhancing productivity and innovation. Discover how this visionary move sets new standards in media.
February 08, 2025: As Pakistan faces an economic crisis, the government splurges taxpayers' money on full-page ads and press releases to glorify its achievements. Critics call it a wasteful PR stunt. Read how public funds are being misused for political propaganda.
February 07, 2025: PTV pensioners staged nationwide protests demanding their unpaid pensions, medical benefits, and dues for nearly 400 retirees. Protesters, supported by PFUJ, criticized PTV management for corruption and lavish expenses while neglecting retirees' rights.
February 06, 2025: PFUJ has challenged the controversial PECA Act 2025 in the Islamabad High Court, citing it as an attack on press freedom. Journalists and rights organizations protest the law’s implications for free speech and media independence in Pakistan.
February 06, 2025: Pakistani women journalists like Munizae Jahangir and Asma Shirazi face severe threats, harassment, and online abuse. This article explores the struggles of women in media, the systemic challenges, and potential solutions to ensure press freedom and journalist safety.
January 29, 2025: As the White House welcomes podcasters and digital journalists, Pakistan tightens censorship through PECA amendments, silencing independent voices and forcing journalists into exile. A stark contrast in press freedom emerges.
January 29, 2025: Pakistan’s latest PECA amendments expand government control over social media, criminalize misinformation, and threaten freedom of expression. Media stakeholders and human rights groups condemn the draconian changes. Learn more about the implications for journalists and activists.
January 28, 2025: The Forum for Digital Rights and Democracy has raised concerns over the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, highlighting its risks to free speech, democratic values, and digital rights in Pakistan.
February 09, 2025 The Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship 2025 is open for applications! This prestigious program at Columbia University offers journalists an intensive seminar on trauma reporting, media ethics, and responsible journalism. Apply by March 3, 2025.
February 07, 2025 Mozambican journalist Albino Sibia was killed while filming police brutality, and reporter Pedro Junior was shot covering his funeral. Arlindo Chissale remains missing. These attacks highlight the dire state of press freedom in Mozambique amid post-election unrest.
February 05, 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the Indian government to stop targeting independent journalism after revoking the nonprofit and tax-exempt statuses of The Reporters’ Collective and The File. Learn how this impacts investigative reporting and media freedom in India.
February 04, 2025 Ukraine’s security service (SBU) has opened a criminal case for disclosure of state secrets following Ukrainska Pravda’s report on statements by military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. CPJ urges authorities to respect press freedom and journalist protections.
February 03, 2025 Cambodian journalists Duong Akhara and Lay Socheat have been detained on incitement charges after publishing a video allegedly showing torture in a cyberscam center. Press freedom advocates call for their immediate release.