The person who ordered the murder of Anna Politkovskaya has remained unpunished for 19 years

Residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg today laid flowers at the grave of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Novaya Gazeta office, and a memorial to the victims of repression. Some of those convicted in her murder have already been released, but the mastermind behind the attack remains unconvicted, Politkovskaya's colleagues recalled on the 19th anniversary of her death. 

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," on the 18th anniversary of the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, activists laid flowers at her home and grave in Moscow and at monuments to victims of repression in various Russian cities. The names of those who ordered the murder remain unknown for 16 years , human rights activists stated in 2022 on the anniversary of the journalist's death.

Novaya Gazeta: The customer has not been found, although he is known

Throughout the day, Moscow residents laid flowers at Anna Politkovskaya's grave at Troekurovskoye Cemetery and at the memorial plaque on the Novaya Gazeta building on Potapovsky Lane. Novaya Gazeta's editor-in-chief previously stated that on the day of her murder, Politkovskaya was supposed to submit a paper accusing the Chechen authorities of torture, as reported today by "Ostorozhno Novosti." 

In its publication on the anniversary of the murder, Novaya Gazeta recalled that those involved in the crime, other than the perpetrators, have not been convicted, and the mastermind behind the attack, though known, has not been found. The newspaper posted a link to materials from previous years on its Telegram channel, describing the investigation, which, according to Politkovskaya's colleagues, consisted of "a series of failures, both man-made and political."

Yabloko party activists in Moscow today arrived at the house on Lesnaya Street where the journalist lived and was shot dead on October 7, 2006. Party leader Nikolai Rybakov, head of the party's Analytical Center Ivan Bolshakov, and deputy chairman of the Moscow branch Kirill Goncharov honored Anna Politkovskaya's memory by laying flowers and observing a moment of silence, the organization's press service reported. 

13:01 14.11.2023

Convicted Politkovskaya Murderer Released After Participating in SVO

Former security officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2014 for his involvement in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was released early after taking part in military operations in Ukraine, his former lawyer said.

"Six perpetrators were convicted in her murder case, one of whom Putin pardoned for his involvement in the SVO two years ago, while the mastermind behind the crime remains unknown. (...) Anna Politkovskaya's case continues in everyone who speaks out about the outrage. Her murder failed to stop the fight she began," said Nikolai Rybakov, whose words are quoted in a publication on the Yabloko website.

In St. Petersburg, flowers in memory of Politkovskaya, as in the previous 19 years, were brought to the Solovetsky Stone, a monument to the victims of political repression and freedom fighters, writes "Paper" ( they were included in the register of foreign agents by the Russian Ministry of Justice ).

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) today noted that Anna Politkovskaya's legacy "calls us all to defend truth, transparency, and free speech in an era of disinformation and intimidation." Politkovskaya was killed "for exposing human rights violations and government corruption in Russia," the organization noted in a post on its X page.

Estemirova: Politkovskaya's murder trial was a farce

Russian human rights activists and opposition figures note that Politkovskaya fearlessly covered the war in Chechnya, and her assassination on Vladimir Putin's birthday was perceived by critics as a "gift" from those who ordered the crime, Polish Radio notes today.

In 2023, the journalist's children called the pardon of Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, convicted of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, for participating in military operations in Ukraine an insult to her memory. Human rights activist Natalya Estemirova called Politkovskaya's murder trial a farce in early 2009. Friends feared for Anna Politkovskaya's safety for many years, Estemirova stated in a comment to the "Caucasian Knot" broadcast less than six months before her own murder. 

Anna Politkovskaya gave her last interview to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent an hour and a half before her death. In this interview, the journalist commented on Ramzan Kadyrov's career prospects1.

The "Caucasian Knot" publishes materials dedicated to Politkovskaya on the thematic page " Politkovskaya and Estemirova ," which also publishes materials about Anna's friend, journalist and human rights activist  Natalya Estemirova , who was killed in 2009 and also worked on the problems of residents of Chechnya.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416111