Sergey Sokolov: investigators have enough information to reveal real customers of Anna Politkovskaya's murder

On October 7, a picket took place in the Novopushkinsky Park of Moscow in memory of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who shot dead in 2006 at entrance to her house. The picket was attended by about 100 persons. Since no loudspeakers are allowed at pickets, the protesters mainly spoke to each other.

Only Lev Ponomaryov, the leader of the movement "For Human Rights", delivered his speech at the picket. He reminded the audience that Anna Politkovskaya suffered, since she was not only the journalist, but also the human rights defender. A one minute's silence was held to pay tribute to the memory of Anna Politkovskaya.

Many of the participants of the picket were holding photos of the journalist, and people could lay flowers to one of the photos, which stood on the sidewalk. Other picketers were holding in their hands articles, written by Anna Politkovskaya, or posters reading: "Russia is country of unpunished murderers!" and "Let's break vicious circle of violence!" Some posters also contained hints of involvement of the Russian authorities in the murder: "Anna Politkovskaya was killed by authorities for her honest articles. We Remember! Russia will be free." and "She was killed on his birthday. We do not believe in such coincidence." The picketers also brought photos of journalist Natalia Estemirova, who was killed in Chechnya in 2009, and journalist Anastasiya Baburova, who was killed in 2010 by a radical nationalist.

Inside a truck body, people could see slides dedicated to Anna Politkovskaya. And for a short time, a wall of the truck body turned into a wall of memory, where photos of the journalist and flowers were fixed side by side with leaflets.

Organizers of picket did not turn it into oppositional action

The picket was necessary for those people who, not being family members or friends of Anna Politkovskaya, wished to pay tribute to her memory. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by human rights defender Olga Trusevich. "The picket is necessary for people, who know that in several years, a person and his or her acts can be forgotten. Attending the picket, we remind the authorities that we remember and do not forget Anna Politkovskaya. The picket is unlikely to reach the direct goal solution of the murder; however, it is very important for people as a reminder," the human rights defender believes.

Olga Trusevich has also emphasized that the organizers did not turn the picket into the oppositional event only. "Not only oppositionist came here. The picket has been also attended by those people, who cannot understand how our country maintains such a regime, in which honest, straight people are destined to death. The picket has been attended by those people, who believe that the people, who represent eyes, ears, and conscience of the society, should not be killed," the human rights defender has concluded.

Galina, a postgraduate student of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, said that she came to the picket to defend freedom. "I support freedom in all its forms. This is what connects me with the activities of Anna Politkovskaya and her heritage, which I treat as one of the manifestations of freedom," she stated.

At the end of the picket, its participants lined with posters along the fence facing the road. Besides, at the end of the picket, the participants laid flowers at the place where Anna Politkovskaya lived and where she was murdered.

Sergey Sokolov: level of optimism about investigation decreases when to refer to political side of situation

The person, who ordered the Anna Politkovskaya's murder, was not revealed, and that fact proves inefficiency of the investigation. This was stated by Alexander Cherkasov, Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", one of the organizers of the picket. "The executive and the organizer of the murder were not brought to justice. And six years have passed already," he said in his interview to the agency "Interfax".

On that fact, Sergey Sokolov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the "Novaya Gazeta", in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot", given several days prior to the picket, stated that his optimism about revealing of the persons, who ordered the murder, was divided into two parts: investigatory and political ones.

"From the point of view of an ideal investigation, there is an opportunity to reveal the person, who ordered the murder. I would not say that this is a matter of tomorrow or of January 2013 (when so-called 'large case' on the Anna Politkovskaya's murder should be brought to court, note of the "Caucasian Knot"). Perhaps, it will take a year or a year and a half; however, in principle, the investigators collected a large volume of evidences in the case against its figurants, and the question is how the investigators will be able to persuade them to give testimonies," Sergey Sokolov said.

According to the journalist, the investigators have a version, who ordered the Anna Politkovskaya's murder. "The number of suspects has been considerably narrowed. This is difficult, but not hopeless," Sergey Sokolov has emphasized.

However, according to him, the level of optimism sufficiently decreases when the political side of matters is in question. "As far as I know, we all know that the leaders of law enforcement agencies and the country want to see certain individuals in the role of the persons, who ordered the murder. If they insist on their version, then, I think that we will be looking for the person, who really ordered the murder, for a very long time," the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the "Novaya Gazeta" has concluded.