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Kremlin: Case of Russian journalist suspected of attempted drug sale still to be analyzed

There is currently no final judgement regarding the need of carrying out any reforms in law enforcement bodies, the Kremlin spokesman said

Ivan Golunov (front) Artiom Geodakyan/TASS

Ivan Golunov (front)

© Artiom Geodakyan/TASS

BISHKEK, June 13. /TASS/. The Kremlin has no final judgement yet on whether a reform in the law enforcement authorities is needed and calls for avoiding generalization in evaluations based on a single case - that of journalist Ivan Golunov.

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"There is currently no final judgement regarding the need, expediency or inexpediency of carrying out any reforms in law enforcement bodies," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. "It would be probably wrong to generalize the situation on the basis of one case," he said.

The Kremlin spokesman highlighted that Golunov’s case "is to be analyzed, and, most importantly, there will be the findings of the investigation that will be carried out and that is being carried out by the Investigative Committee." "The resonance of this case made everyone pay attention to it," Peskov said.

Golunov, an investigative correspondent from the 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. Three packages, a parcel containing a powdery substance and scales were found in his house. The journalist was charged with attempted drug sale. He pled not guilty of the sale attempt, and his lawyer said that the drugs had been planted on him. Golunov’s case sparked a massive public outcry.

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On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the order dismissing two police generals. These are head of the Interior Directorate of the Western Administrative District of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Moscow Andrei Puchkov and head of the Directorate for Drug Trafficking Control of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Moscow Yuri Devyatkin. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev earlier sent a motion to dismiss Puchkov and Devyatkin.

On Tuesday, Kolokoltsev reported that Golunov’s case was stopped "due to the absence of proof of his involvement in the crime," and the journalist himself was released from home arrest. The investigation materials were sent from the Russian Interior Ministry’s Interior Security Department to the Investigative Committee for the evaluation of the legitimacy of the actions carried out by the police officers who took part in Golunov’s detention.

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