MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2020) The Moscow City Court has decided that the criminal proceedings concerning drugs allegedly planted on Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov, will not be held behind the closed doors, but will be open to the mass media, Ulyana Solopova, the spokeswoman for the court, told Sputnik on Thursday.
In June 2019, Golunov was detained in Moscow while in possession of drugs that he said were planted on him by police, prompting a national outcry. A probe into how his case was handled has cost two senior police officials their jobs and led to criminal charges against five other officers.
"The first hearing is scheduled for November 11. It was decided to review the case publicly," Solopova said
The official added that the restraining measures for all the defendants involved in this case had been extended until April 20.
The prosecution has previously appealed to the court, asking to hold the trials behind closed doors as information related to the organization of police operations would be disclosed during the hearing.
