Murder of Anna Politkovskaya: details

Today in Moscow, Anna Politkovskaya was killed, a well-known journalist, political observer of the "Novaya Gazeta," who wrote for many years on violent infringements of human rights in Chechnya and elsewhere in the north Caucasus. According to the "Interfax" Agency, Anna Politkovskaya's body was found at 5:10 p.m. Moscow time in the elevator cabin by her neighbour. The body has a firearm wound. The militia members who arrived to the accident place found in the cabin a thrown out PM pistol ("Makarov") and four shells. An operations and investigation group is busy at the site. The investigators are trying to make and identikit (photorobot) and confiscate the video records of surveillance cameras that could possibly have pictured the supposed criminal. Most probably, it was a single killer. He was a man in black clothes. They have announced a search of a young man, above average height, of spare bodybuild. He may wear a black baseball cap.

Dmitri Muratov, editor-in-chief of "Novaya Gazeta," believes that the murder is linked with Anna Politkovskaya's journalism. Her last publication in "Novaya Gazeta" - "Vindicatory Conspiracy" - was dedicated to the membership and operations of Chechen regiments that fight on the federal side.

Politkovskaya was threatened more than once. Thus, the Grani.ru reminds that in September 2001 she published a article in "Novaya Gazeta" titled "Missing People" and telling the story of Zelimkhan Murdalov, a Chechen, arrested in Chechnya by the Khanty-Mansijsk OMON (special unit) early in 2001, who then disappeared. After that, the journalist started to receive threatening letters by E-mail from a certain "cadet." "Cadet" was a nickname of Sergey Lapin, a fighter of the Khanty-Mansijsk OMON, who directly "worked with" Murdalov after his detainment. Lapin was accused, but later charges were removed.

Later, in September 2004, during the tragic events in Beslan School, they tried to poison Anna Politkovskaya on board of the airplane on her way to Beslan. Then, Politkovskaya declared that she was "removed off the ground" not to let her fulfill her plan of settling the situation.

Besides, the name of Anna Politkovskaya was in the list of "enemies of Russian people and Russian state order," compiled in March 2006 by Nikolai Kuryanovich, an LDPR Duma deputy.

Alexander Politkovskiy, former husband of the victim, told the journalists that the murder "is surely related" to the professional business of the deceased. "I'm sure it won't be cleared in the near future," he said. He also reported that her former wife was repeatedly threatened, and for some time she even used security. "However, she didn't mention any threats lately," Alexander Politkovskiy added.

Anna Politkovskaya graduated from the Journalism Department of the Moscow State University in 1980. In 1982-1993, she worked for "Izvestia" and "Vodny Transport" newspapers, at the "ESCART" Creative Association, and "Paritet" Publishing House.

In 1994-1999, she was Editor of Emergencies Sector of the "Obschaya Gazeta." Since June 1999 - observer of the "Novaya Gazeta."

From July 1999 on, she many times went to military actions areas and refugees camps in Dagestan, and then - in Ingushetia and Chechnya. Anna Politkovskaya is the author of a documentary book "Travel to Hell. Chechen Diary."

In January 2000, Politkovskaya was awarded the Prize "Golden Pen of Russia" for a series of her reports from Chechnya. Her other prizes were: "Good Deed - Kind Heart" Premium of the RF Union of Journalists, Premium of the Union of Journalists for materials on combating corruption, Diploma "Golden Gong-2000" for a series of materials on Chechnya.

Anna Politkovskaya was also involved in defence of human rights: she helped mothers of perished soldiers at court, held corruption investigation at the Ministry of defence and Command of the United Groupings of Federal Troops in Chechnya.