18:15, 19 June 2008

International Federation of Journalists asks to punish Politkovskaya's killers

The human rights organization named "The International Federation of Journalists", based in Brussels, is satisfied with the charges presented to the three journalists suspected of murdering journalist Anna Politkovskaya and demands that they should be properly punished.

"We welcome the fact that the justice is on the right track, however, the case should be finished, and the killers should face trial," runs the Federation's statement as quoted by Reuters.

The murder of Anna Politkovskaya has drawn the attention of international public to the endangered situation of journalists in Russia.

"She was one of the four media workers killed in Russia in 2006. In total, after 1993, 255 journalists and other media people were assassinated in Russia. The circumstances of many of these deaths have been cleared out, however during Vladimir Putin's presidency about twenty journalists were murdered, and none of these murders has been completely cleared," runs the statement.