(NEW YORK)– In response to the news that Russian authorities have dropped all charges against Russian journalist Ivan Golunov, PEN America issued the following statement:
“The dropping of all charges against Ivan Golunov is cause for celebration, both because it means this dogged reporter is free to return to his work, and also because it reminds us that even an intransigent government can be moved by international outcry. We all know well that Golunov could easily have ended up spending years in prison as a result of these spurious charges, but the solidarity shown by journalists and newspapers in Russia and the voices from across the globe denouncing Golunov’s arrest helped stave off this injustice. The Russian government should know that the world will not look away from its attempts to silence truth-tellers.”
CONTACT: PEN America media consultant Suzanne Trimel, [email protected]