Trial for the murder of Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist at Novaya Gazeta, was assassinated on Saturday, 7 October 2006. She was found shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block on Lesnaya street in central Moscow. Police said a Makarov pistol and four shell casings were found beside her body. Reports indicated a contract killing, as she was shot four times, once in the head.

In late August 2007, police arrested ten suspects believed to have been involved in Politkovskaya's murder. Russia's Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika stated that the plotters' aim was to start a crisis to destabilize Russia. The suspects included members of a Chechen organized crime group, an FSB officer and police officers.

On March 28, 2008, it was reported that the suspected killer of journalist Anna Politkovskaya was identified as 30-years old Chechen Rustam Makhmudov, a brother of Ibragim and Dzhabrail Makhmudovs who have been suspected on complicity to the murder (both were arrested).

On June 18, 2008, the investigating committee at the Moscow prosecutor general's office announced that the preliminary investigation was concluded, and three people, Sergey Khadzhikurbanov (Interior Ministry official), Dzhabrail Makhmudov and Ibragim Makhmudov, were set to stand trial for murder. Another suspect, Pavel Ryaguzov (FSB officer, who was suspected of providing Ms Politkovskaya home address to the killer.), has been charged with lesser offenses, including abuse of office and extortion.

Colleagues who were close to Politkovskaya at Novaya Gazeta say the mystery is far from over however. Deputy editor of Novaya Gazeta magazine, Sergey Sokolov said: "The investigation is finished in regards to only the three people in question. But as for other people involved - the ones who have been identified and those who are still to be identified, like the killer and the person who ordered the murder - they are set apart into a separate group. The investigation will be continued."

On July 1, 2008, Russia's chief investigator Alexander Bastrykin confirmed that Rustam Makhmudov, the man believed by authorities to have fired the fatal shot, was hiding in western Europe. On October 2, 2008, the case against Khadzhikurbanov and Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov was sent to court by the prosecutors.

On 19 February 2009 the trial ended with the unanimous jury acquittal of Dzhabrail Makhmudov, Ibragim Makhmudov, and Sergei Khadzhikurbanov. The prosecutor Vera Pashkovskaya stated that the verdict would be appealed.

On June 25, 2009, the Supreme Court overturned the no-guilty verdicts and ordered a retrial for three men on charges related to her murder.

Agentura.Ru March 15, 2011