Sergey Khadjikurbanov rejects his role of organizing Anna Politkovskaya's murder

Sergey Khadjikurbanov, ex-militiaman, who was repeatedly charged of murdering Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, rejects his guilt and refuses to testify. This was reported by his lawyer Alexei Mikhalchik.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today Sergey Khadjikurbanov was again charged of organizing the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. "Khadjikurbanov is accused of the crime that, after he had been released from prison on September 22, 2006, he headed an organized criminal grouping in the course of preparation and commitment of Politkovskaya's murder," stated Vladimir Markin, the official spokesman of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

Alexei Mikhalchik has confirmed that his client faced a newly-worded indictment. However, according to his story, it hardly differs from the previous one, under which Sergey Khadjikurbanov was acquitted by the jury.

"The charge is not specified; and this impedes the work of the defence," Mr Mikhalchik has and added that it is not clear from the indictment how Lom-Ali Gaitukaev, another figurant in the case, could communicate with Sergey Khadjikurbanov in organizing the murder, since the latter was in custody at that time.

Murad Musaev, Djabrail Makhmudov's advocate, also said that his client had faced a newly-formulated indictment. "Its content is the same; however, instead of committing the crime jointly with unidentified persons, investigators name the new detainees Gaitukaev and Pavlyuchenkov," he has emphasized.

According to Darya Trenina, the advocate of the suspected killer Rustam Makhmudov, her client has not faced his indictment yet, the "RAPSI" (Russian Agency of Legal and Judicial Information) reports.

At the same time, relatives and friends of Anna Politkovskaya do not believe that the ex-militiaman Sergey Khadjikurbanov was the main organizer of her murder.

"Basing on the materials of the case, which was brought to the court two years ago, I have no reason to believe that Sergey Khadjikurbanov is the main organizer," Ilya, Anna Politkovskaya's son, said today.

According to his story, "the materials of the case say practically nothing in this regard", the "Interfax" reports.