Three of Russia’s leading newspapers have published identical front pages questioning the motives behind the arrest of investigative reporter Ivan Golunov, who was injured while in police custody.

Vedomosti, Kommersant, and RBK had the same joint statement from their editors on the front page of their June 10 editions, which also calls for an investigation into an arrest the journalism watchdog Reporters Without Borders has warned could mark “a significant escalation in the persecution” of independent journalists in Russia.

“We do not consider the evidence presented by the investigation into the guilt of Ivan Golunov convincing, and the circumstances of his arrest cause great doubts that the law was not violated during the investigative actions,” the joint statement read.

“We do not rule out that the detention and subsequent arrest of Golunov is related to his professional activities,” it added.

Golunov, a well-known investigative reporter with the online news organization Meduza, suffered bruises, cuts, a concussion, and a broken rib during or after his June 6 arrest on charges of drug trafficking.

Defense lawyer Pavel Chikov said on June 9 that lawyers had formally requested that Russia’s Investigative Committee conduct a probe into how Golunov received the injuries.

A day earlier, a Moscow court ordered house arrest for Golunov, pending an August trial.

Chikov has strenuously denied the charges and Meduza editors accused police of fabricating the case against Golunov to punish him for his investigations into high-level corruption among Moscow officials.

The joint statement commended the court’s decision on house arrest, but added that a detailed check of the actions of officers involved in Golunov’s detention to ensure they comply with the law was needed.

To ensure full transparency, all data from such a check must be provided to the media, it said.

The arrest stunned many Russian journalists and prompted an outpouring of support, with hundreds of people lining up outside police headquarters in Moscow, taking turns standing in front of the building and holding signs, one at a time, to protest the case.

Smaller protests were held in other cities across Russia on June 7 and June 8.

“We believe that the fulfillment of these requirements is crucial not only for the journalistic community of Russia, but also for Russian society as a whole,” the joint statement read.

“We demand observance of the law by all and for all,” it added.

 
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