CALLED OFF

Russia Drops Charges Against Meduza Reporter Ivan Golunov After Public Outcry

Russian media rallied behind the investigative journalist, believing he was being targeted because of his reporting on corruption.

Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov will be freed from house arrest Tuesday, after dubious drug charges against him were dropped after a massive public outcry. Golunov, a reporter for the Latvia-based Meduza online news service, has written some of the most revealing stories on government corruption for Russian audiences. On June 6, Golunov was detained by police while on his way to meet a source in central Moscow. Police claimed to have found drugs on his body, and allegedly found more narcotics during a subsequent search of his apartment. Golunov has said he was beaten and mistreated by the government officers. After his arrest, Russian media rallied behind him in a rare public show of support. Meduza republished his body of work, much of which is available in English, in order to defy the arrest. The outcry appears to have been successful, as all charges against him were dropped. The decision came after “forensic, biological, fingerprinting and genetic tests,” Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said. “He will be released from house arrest today, the charges have been dropped.”