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Kremlin closely monitoring case of Russian reporter under house arrest

President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the Golunov case on June 7
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Vitaliy Nevar/TASS
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Vitaliy Nevar/TASS

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. The Kremlin is closely monitoring the case of Meduza correspondent Ivan Golunov, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

Peskov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the case on June 7. "The president was informed of this high-profile case. The Kremlin has no right to comment on cases. We will also not do it this time," he noted.

"Taking into account the high visibility of this case, of course, we closely monitor all the details," the Kremlin spokesman added. "It is our understanding that various issues that have to be clarified remain on the agenda," he stressed.

The Golunov case 

On Saturday, a Moscow court ruled to put Golunov under house arrest until August 7.

Golunov, 36, an investigative correspondent from the Riga-based Meduza online newspaper was detained in downtown Moscow on June 6. According to police, he was carrying several packages containing 4 grams of mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant drug. During the search of his apartment, police found 5 grams of cocaine. His lawyers insisted that the police had planted the drugs on Golunov, explaining that this could occur at the moment when the journalist was confronted by the police. The journalist has pleaded not guilty to the drug dealing charges.

Meduza’s Director General Galina Timchenko and Chief Editor Ivan Kolpakov believe that Golunov could be prosecuted over his professional activity.

The journalist was hospitalized after the ambulance team diagnosed him with a broken rib, brain concussion and hematomas. However, doctors at a hospital did not confirm this diagnosis.