19:10, 5 March 2014

At the trial of Politkovskaya's murder witness testifies against defendant Rustam Makhmudov

Moscow City Court. Photo: http://www.mosgorsud.su/

Oleg Golubovich, a citizen of Belarus, a witness in the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", has identified the defendant Rustam Makhmudov as the direct perpetrator.

The court session was held today. According to Oleg Golubovich, who worked as a driver for another figurant of the case – Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, the former head of a department of Moscow Police, he saw a weapon handed over to the alleged killer.

Golubovich is in Belarus; he did not appear at the trial; so, the jury watched a video of his interrogation. When shown a Makhmudov's photo, Golubovich recognized the killer, the RAPSI reports today.

"I was told that this man is a killer; and he took a pistol with a silencer out of Pavlyuchenkov's car," the RIA "Novosti" quotes the witness as saying.

So far, the defence has not commented the witness' statement.