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Tag: Anna Politkovskaya

  • Anna Politkovskaya: Justice Not Served?

    Anna Politkovskaya: Justice Not Served?

    For the family of slain investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, the sentencing of five men deemed responsible for her death did not leave them with any sense of closure.

    Instead, the trial and sentencing has left one very important question unanswered: Who led the conspiracy to kill her?

    The Ukrainian journalist was known for her outspoken opinion on topics ranging from the corrupt Russian government to human rights issues.

    She also pushed the envelope on the sensitive topic of Chechnya. Politkovskaya was determined to bring to light the things that others in Russia desperately wanted to remain secret.

    In such circumstances, it becomes increasingly dangerous for an investigative reporter in Politkovskaya’s position.

    The 48-year-old woman was gunned down on October 7th, 2006 in the lobby of her apartment in Moscow.

    The death of Politkovskaya created a national scandal. Many Russians were outraged by what they believed to be a government-orchestrated hit on the reporter.

    Nearly eight years later, five men were sent to jail for killing her.

    Pavel Melyokhin, the judge in the case, sentenced Rustam Makhmudov to life in prison for shooting Politkovskaya. His uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev was given the same sentence for providing logistics. Three other men were sent to jail with sentences ranging from 12 to 20 years.

    And yet, at no point were any of these men fingered as the one who masterminded Politkovskaya’s brutal death.

    Said her son Ilya, “I will be satisfied only when the person or people who ordered this will be sentenced.”

    The defendants exchanged smiles, which must have been severely unnerving to Politkovskaya’s family.

    Who smiles as they are sentenced to spend the rest of their life behind bars?

    It has been revealed that the victim in this case is one of 23 reporters that has been gunned down in Russia since 2000. Politkovskaya is one of five lost to the Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian paper.

    The Novaya Gazeta is performing its own investigation into the circumstances of her death.

    Image via YouTube

  • Anna Politkovskaya Murderers Given Life In Prison

    Two of the five men found guilty for the 2006 killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya were handed life sentences on Monday by the Moscow city court.

    The other three men convicted have received prison sentences of 12, 14, and 20 years for their role in the murder.

    Politkovskaya, known for uncovering government corruption and human rights abuses as well as an outspoken Putin critic, was shot and killed on October 7, 2006 in the lobby of her apartment building.

    The slaying has received international attention not only due to the horrific nature of the crime, but for the eight years of investigation and trials between Politkovskaya’s death and a conviction.

    While the sentencing has provided some relief to the family of Anna Politkovskaya, it is still unknown who originally ordered the hit on the journalist. Last year, Russian police officer Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov received an 11 year sentence for supplying the murder weapon however revealed nothing about the person or persons giving orders.

    “For as long as the name of the mastermind is not known, there can be no talk of revealing the truth,” said Nadezhda Prusenkova, a spokeswoman for the independent paper Novaya Gazeta. “Today’s sentencing is important, but only a step. They are the lowest level in this criminal chain, which must still be revealed and punished.”

    The men sentenced Monday have only been found guilty of receiving money for and carrying out the hit on Politkovskaya. Their conviction does not indicate responsibility for the order itself, the origin of which remains unknown due to what many believe is the Russian government’s neglect. “At this point in time, it really does not seem that the government and investigation authorities are serious about getting to the bottom of it,” said Tanya Lokshina, head of the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch.

    “I am sure the name behind the murder will not be revealed under the current political regime,” said Politkovskaya’s former colleague Lev Ponomaryov. “If the order came from the ruling elite’s senior members, nobody will risk speaking because they know for sure that would cost their life.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Anna Politkovskaya: A Russian Court Convicts Five Men Of Murder

    On Tuesday, five men were convicted of murdering Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian investigative journalist.

    In 2006, Politkovskaya was found dead with two gunshots in the chest, one in her shoulder, and one in the head.

    Of the five men who were convicted, three had already been acquitted in a previous trial. According to reports, Politkovskaya was documenting human rights violations that were happening in the province of Chechnya. She was shot to death in the elevator of her apartment building.

    Politkovskaya’s murder sparked worldwide attention and people are questioning the press’ freedom of speech under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin.

    Reach All Women in War or RAW in WAR, a human rights organization, started giving out the “Anna Politkovskaya Award” in 2007. Each year, they give the award to women who fight for human rights in a conflict zone, and who “like Anna, stands up for the victims of this conflict, often at great personal risk.”

    In a previous trial, the three men were acquitted. The Supreme Court later threw out the acquittal, which resulted in a new trial. The defendants were three Chechen brothers, their uncle, and a former police officer. When the three men were acquitted, a lawyer for Politkovskaya’s family said that the murder of the journalist will only be solved once the one who ordered her killing has been named.

    In 2008, reports said that Politkovskaya’s murder may have been ordered by someone who works for the Russian government. Case notes pointed to a politician who was not named.

    The jury found Rustam Makhmudov as the gunman, and the four men as accomplices to the crime.

    Ilya Politkovsky, Politkovskaya’s son, said, “We agree with the verdict, but this is only a small part of those who are guilty in the crime.”

    The five men will appear in court at a later date for their sentencing. Reports say that all five of them could face life in prison. The mens’ lawyers said that they would appeal.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons