Five former detectives have been handed lengthy jail terms in Russia for their roles in fabricating evidence against a reporter in a case that sparked outrage across the country, with President Vladimir Putin wading into the row. Moscow City.
Ex-policemen jailed for planting drugs on Russian journalist
Issued on:
28/05/2021 - 14:09 Ivan Golunov is a prominent investigative journalist Vasily MAXIMOV AFP/File 3 min
Moscow (AFP)
A Moscow court on Friday sentenced five former police officers to lengthy prison terms for planting drugs on an investigative journalist, in a case supporters called a rare admission of wrong-doing from Russian law enforcement.
The arrest of prominent investigative reporter Ivan Golunov in June 2019 on trumped-up drug charges that could have landed him in prison for up to 20 years sparked an outcry with activists and Kremlin critics demanding for his release.
Golunov, 38, was released days later and the charges were dropped after an unprecedented campaign in his support.
Journalist Ivan Golunov will not appeal the verdict against the former police officers, who were sentenced to terms of up to 12 years for falsifying his case