This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/russia/461405-ivan-golunov-court-hearing/

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Court puts Russian journalist charged with drug dealing under house arrest Court puts Russian journalist charged with drug dealing under house arrest
(about 1 hour later)
A Moscow court has placed Ivan Golunov under two-month house arrest, siding with his defense. The investigative journalist stands accused of possessing illegal drugs with intent to supply. He rejects all the allegations. A Moscow court has placed Ivan Golunov under two-month house arrest, siding with his defense. The investigative journalist stands accused of possessing illegal drugs with intent to supply. He denies all the allegations.
The journalist appeared before a crowded Moscow court on Saturday evening. Looking distraught and tearing up, he thanked his supporters before the hearings started. “I never thought I’d be present at my own funeral,” he said, adding that the process felt “like the movies” to him. Golunov, who works for Latvia-based Russian news outlet Meduza and specializes in anti-corruption investigations, was detained in Moscow on Thursday. Investigators say the journalist had several packages of illegal drugs on him and at his apartment, as well as electronic scales. Golunov and his supporters, however, maintain that the drugs were planted by law enforcement to frame him.
Dozens of Golunov’s supporters and fellow journalists gathered outside the courthouse, chanting “Shame!” The police had to hold the doors and push some people away as they tried to enter the building. The prosecution on Saturday asked the court to arrest him for two months. The defense, meanwhile, argued that he should instead be placed under house arrest. In the end, the court decided to put Golunov under house arrest for two months.
The crowd of supporters later celebrated when the court announced its decision. The journalist denied all charges, saying that he "has nothing to do with drugs, and never took drugs himself." He also promised to cooperate with the investigation.
A person can be detained for no more than 48 hours without being formally charged with a crime in Russia. As two days have already passed since Golunov’s detention, the prosecution asked the court to arrest him for two months. The defense, meanwhile, argued that he should be placed under house arrest instead. “I never thought I’d be present at my own funeral,” the journalist said ahead of the hearing, adding that the process felt “like the movies” to him.
An investigative reporter for the Latvia-based Russian-English news website Meduza, Golunov was detained by police earlier this week and charged with possession and intent to sell drugs. If proven guilty, the journalist could face 10 to 20 years in jail.  The case, which also involved allegations of police beatings and an inconclusive tour to a hospital – where doctors confirmed only minor injuries – has attracted quite a bit of controversy in Russia and abroad. A crowd of supporters gathered outside the court building on Saturday as the courtroom had been filled to the limits. The police had to hold the doors and push some of the people away. Dozens remained in the street and celebrated when the decision was announced.
The police said that they found five packages of the illegal substance mephedrone in his backpack, and other drugs in his apartment, including cocaine. During the hearing on Saturday, the defense argued that the drugs in question may have been planted by police. Many were quick to link Golunov’s case to his anti-corruption journalism, and at the hearing the man himself pointed a finger at one potentially interested organization. He said he was detained the same day he submitted a draft of his new piece on the funeral industry in Russia – a lucrative business, largely monopolized by GBU Ritual, which the authorities have previously promised to reform. According to Meduza, Golunov’s new article alleges that some high-profile people within the country’s law enforcement are reaping profits from the business.
Golunov denied all charges, saying that he “has nothing to do with drugs, and never took drugs himself.” He also promised to cooperate with the investigation. Meanwhile, the investigators continue to probe Golunov’s alleged links to a busted drug lab. Shortly after the detention, the Interior Ministry’s website published several photos featuring forbidden substances. But all except one of those were soon deleted, and the police rolled out an explanation saying that only that one photo was actually taken at the journalist’s home, and the rest were from the ongoing probe into the drug dealers.
The man’s lawyer earlier said that the suspect was beaten by police while in custody. He was later taken to hospital after health complaints. The doctors confirmed that Golunov had a bruise on his back and a black eye but discovered no other injuries.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!