The Russian Interior Ministry will take stringent measures toward its employees for provocations with drugs while they collect evidence, First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy told reporters on Tuesday in the wake of the recent case with Russian journalist Ivan Golunov which shook the nation
ISTRA (Russia) (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) The Russian Interior Ministry will take stringent measures toward its employees for provocations with drugs while they collect evidence, First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy told reporters on Tuesday in the wake of the recent case with Russian journalist Ivan Golunov which shook the nation."We have a reason to revise Article 228 [on drugs possession] ... But this should be evaluated very comprehensively ... If one says that there is a provocation with the evidence part, then we will definitely apply the toughest measures toward [the Interior Ministry's] employees who have done [such violations]," Gorovoy said.
The Russian public has been recently boiling over the case of Ivan Golunov, an investigative journalist with Russia's Meduza news outlet. Golunov, who is known for his corruption-related stories, was detained on June 6 after police claimed to have found drugs in his possession. Golunov, who insisted he had been framed and the drugs had been planted, was put under house arrest. Days later Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said that charges against Golunov had been dropped due to lack of evidence.
Later Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed two senior Moscow police officials, Gen. Andrei Puchkov and Gen. Yuri Devyatkin, who were involved in the probe at the request of Kolokoltsev.
The arrest prompted a major backlash, with Russian media and protesters condemning it as an attack on freedom of speech. Moscow ombudswoman Tatiana Potyaeva said she was monitoring the probe.
