MOSCOW—Russian authorities dropped drug charges against a prominent journalist and released him from house arrest in an unusual turnaround that followed criticism from journalists, lawmakers and celebrities. Ivan Golunov, 36 years old, a Moscow-based reporter for the Latvia-based independent news website Meduza, was detained Thursday on alleged drug offenses, in a case that rattled Russia’s media community as many news outlets fight to preserve their independence. On Saturday, a Moscow court ordered him to be placed under...

Source: Wall Street Journal June 11, 2019 15:24 UTC