Arrest
On 7 June 2019, Golunov was arrested by Moscow City Police on drug-related crime charges.[14] Colleagues and friends of Golunov expressed their belief that the case was fabricated and charges were primarily motivated by Golunov's investigations into corruption.[15] Those publicly speaking in defense of Golunov included Alexei Navalny,[16] Vladimir Posner,[17] Yuri Shevchuk,[18] Zemfira,[19] Alexey Venediktov,[20] Victor Matizen,[21] Victor Shenderovich,[22] Anna Narinskaya,[22] Ksenia Sobchak,[23] Boris Grebenshchikov,[24] Dmitry Muratov,[20] Andrey Zvyagintsev,[25] Leonid Parfyonov,[26] Grigory Yavlinsky,[27] Oxxxymiron,[28] and a number of other journalists, artists, and public figures.[29] Three major Russian newspapers, Kommersant, Vedomosti and RBK, published a joint editorial under the headline "I am / We are Ivan Golunov".[30]
Several dozen of Golunov's works (in Russian) about corruption among officials and businessmen in Moscow and other cities and regions were made public at the time of his arrest, and offered for reprint and distribution in order to raise public awareness of the case.[31]
In a press release about the arrest of Golunov and a search of his apartment, the police published a series of photos, eight of which showed a drug lab. These photographs were widely distributed through Telegram instant-messaging channels linked to the police. Soon the police officially confirmed that the photographs were taken in the apartment of the suspect. However, they then admitted that an error had occurred and only one photo was actually taken at Golunov's apartment.[32]
On 8 June, Golunov was sentenced to house arrest until 7 August.[33]
Release
On 11 June 2019, the non-profit Anti-Corruption Foundation published an investigation that linked alleged masterminds behind Golunov's persecution to officials in the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), including its Moscow office chief.[34][35] On the same day, Golunov was released and cleared of all charges. Almost simultaneously, Oyub Titiev, a Russian human-rights activist arrested in 2018, was released by another Russian court.[36][3]
Notwithstanding Golunov's release, a planned but unauthorized rally was held in Moscow in support of him on 12 June. Protesters called to punish those involved in the fabrication of criminal cases. Officers in riot gear attacked protesters. Hundreds of people were detained, including political activist Alexei Navalny and a member of staff from the German magazine Der Spiegel, as well as many Russian journalists.[37]
Subsequent investigation
About six months after Golunov's release, five ex-police officers were charged over fabrication of his case.[38][39][40] On May 21, 2021 the five former officers were sentenced from 5 to 12 years in prison.[41] Additionally the court ordered each of them to pay Golunov $13,600 (or 1 million rubles at the time). Meduza outlet where Golunov is working expressed skepticism over the officer's sentence: it believes that justice didn't reach those who have originally masterminded the crime.[42]
In July 2023, Golunov said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had paid him 1.5 million rubles in damages following a ruling by the Moscow City Court in December 2022.[43]
