MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. The lawyer of Ivan Golunov, a reporter of the Meduza media outlet, has filed a request with the Investigative Committee on launching checks into the unlawful actions by the police during his detention.

In her request, Olga Dinze asks the investigators to check whether police used violence against the journalist during his detention on June 6. In case the illegal use of violence and bodily harm are confirmed, the IC should prosecute police over the abuse of office.

The lawyers have also filed a complaint with Moscow’s prosecutors over the journalist’s stay in custody for more than 48 hours.

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.