MOSCOW: A Russian investigative journalist facing drugs charges in a case supporters have denounced as a frame-up was taken to hospital on Saturday after complaining of being beaten in police custody.

Ivan Golunov, a Moscow-based reporter for Meduza independent news site has been charged with attempted dealing in designer drug mephedrone and cocaine.

Supporters and his defence team said he had received death threats and suggested the drugs were planted to punish him over his reporting. Rights groups Amnesty said there was evidence that the authorities were fabricating drugs charges to shut up their critics.

After his detention on Thursday Golunov told a representative of Russia’s presidential rights council, which advises Vladimir Putin that police had punched him and stood on his chest, His lawyer Pavel Chikov said that paramedics suspected he had broken ribs and concussion. A paramedic who examined him told Interfax news agency that he had numerous grazes to his chest, injuries to his ribs and a suspected head injury while police have denied he was beaten.

The journalist was due to attend court for a ruling on whether to hold him in custody but police said that they called an ambulance after he complained of feeling unwell and he was taken to a hospital for examination.

Golunov’s detention has prompted widespread outrage and supporters and journalists have held protests outside the police headquarters and the court where his case was due to be held.

Meduza posted photographs of people holding placards in support of Golunov in cities in Russia and abroad.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2019