Ivan Golunov
Ivan Golunov | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ivan Valentinovich Golunov January 19, 1983 Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | Investigative journalist |
| Years active | Late 1990s–present |
| Known for | Investigative reporting, anti-corruption work, Meduza affiliation |
Ivan Valentinovich Golunov (; born 19 January 1983) is a Russian journalist specializing in investigative reporting and anti-corruption work, currently affiliated with the independent news platform Meduza.
He became internationally recognized in June 2019 when Moscow law enforcement detained him on allegations related to drug offenses. These accusations were subsequently dismissed amid widespread public protest, which claimed the charges were fabricated to obstruct his corruption investigations.
Golunov’s detention triggered substantial backlash against police misconduct and attracted considerable attention across Russia’s online and social media networks.
Early life and career
Born in Moscow on 19 January 1983, Ivan Golunov is of Vepsian descent. He attended Moscow International Film School No. 1318 and completed an internship at Novaya Gazeta during the late 1990s. His professional path included work for Afisha, where he authored a guide to suburban areas, followed by positions at Vedomosti (2003–2005), then Forbes, before returning to Vedomosti in 2008. In 2009, he joined Slon, later transitioning in 2012 to TV Rain. Since 2014, he has collaborated with RBK, and starting in 2016, he became a special correspondent for the online outlet Meduza.
At Meduza, Golunov concentrated on investigative pieces uncovering corruption within Russian society. His notable investigations include "The evictors," which focused on predatory lenders in Moscow, and "The penthouse family," exposing corrupt practices involving the Moscow mayor’s office and real estate deals. Additional inquiries detailed a multi-billion rouble restoration initiative and exchanges of state assets linked to presidential agencies. His 2017 report titled "A coffin, a cemetery and hundreds of billions of rubles" shed light on criminal activity and corruption within Russia’s funeral industry.
Golunov earned the Redkollegia Award twice: first in October 2017 for an article about Orthodox extremists and potential FSB connections, and again in August 2018 for his exposé on the funeral sector. At the time of his arrest in 2019, he was working on a follow-up investigation exploring ties between Moscow’s funeral businesses and the Federal Security Service (FSB), having recently submitted a draft.
Arrest
On 7 June 2019, Ivan Golunov was detained by Moscow City Police on allegations involving narcotics. Friends and colleagues widely regarded these accusations as fabricated, believing they were retaliatory actions linked to his anti-corruption reporting. Public support came from prominent figures including Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Posner, Yuri Shevchuk, Zemfira, Alexey Venediktov, Victor Matizen, Victor Shenderovich, Anna Narinskaya, Ksenia Sobchak, Boris Grebenshchikov, Dmitry Muratov, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Leonid Parfyonov, Grigory Yavlinsky, and Oxxxymiron. Additionally, three leading Russian newspapers—Kommersant, Vedomosti, and RBK—issued a joint editorial titled "I am / We are Ivan Golunov."
At the time of his arrest, dozens of Golunov’s investigative articles revealing corruption among officials and business figures were released under a Creative Commons license to raise public awareness.
Law enforcement circulated images allegedly from Golunov’s residence depicting a drug laboratory through Telegram channels associated with police sources. Authorities later acknowledged that only one photograph originated from his apartment, describing the remainder as mistakenly attributed.
On 8 June, Golunov was placed under house arrest pending further proceedings until 7 August.
Release
On 11 June 2019, the non-profit organization Anti-Corruption Foundation identified officials within the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), including the head of its Moscow division, as the alleged architects behind the case against Golunov. That same day, Golunov was freed and all accusations against him were dropped. Concurrently, Russian human-rights advocate Oyub Titiev was also released by a separate judicial body.
Following Golunov's exoneration, an unauthorized demonstration took place in Moscow on 12 June to show support for him. Participants called for accountability for those responsible for fabricating criminal charges. Riot police detained hundreds of protesters, among them political figure Alexei Navalny, a correspondent from Der Spiegel, and multiple Russian reporters.
Subsequent investigation
Approximately six months after Golunov's freedom, charges were brought against five former police officers accused of fabricating his case. On 21 May 2021, these individuals received prison sentences ranging between 5 and 12 years and were ordered to compensate Golunov with $13,600 (equivalent to 1 million rubles). The news outlet Meduza, where Golunov is employed, expressed doubts about the verdict, implying that those who masterminded the wrongdoing had yet to face justice.
In July 2023, Golunov revealed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had compensated him with 1.5 million rubles in damages following a decision by the Moscow City Court in December 2022.
See also
- Media freedom in Russia
- Human rights in Russia
- ru:Дело Ивана Голунова, case of Ivan Golunov