Anna Politkovskaya – Status: Solved

On October 7, 2006, journalist Anna Politkovskaya was fatally shot in her Moscow apartment building on Vladimir Putin’s birthday. Thousands mourned at her funeral on October 10, though no top Russian officials attended. Her posthumous works were later published, and her granddaughter was named Anna in her honor. In 2007, ten suspects were detained, with four facing trials by 2008.

Anna Politkovskaya’s last word/work: “By the way, no other newspaper writes about this, but criminal cases have been launched against the Kadyrovtsi and Kadyrov based on three articles published by our newspaper. I am a witness in one of these cases. These cases are about abductions, including one criminal case about the abduction of two people carried out with the participation of Ramzan Akhmedovich Kadyrov”.

Journalist Information:

Name: Anna Politkovskaya

Age: 48

Gender: Female

DOB: 30/08/1958

Nationality: Russian

Last company worked for: Novaya Gazeta

Family: Anna left behind her two adoring children, whom she was very close to.

Anna Politkovskaya’s last word/work: “By the way, no other newspaper writes about this, but criminal cases have been launched against the Kadyrovtsi and Kadyrov based on three articles published by our newspaper. I am a witness in one of these cases. These cases are about abductions, including one criminal case about the abduction of two people carried out with the participation of Ramzan Akhmedovich Kadyrov”.

On October 7, 2006, journalist Anna Politkovskaya was fatally shot in her Moscow apartment building on Vladimir Putin’s birthday. Thousands mourned at her funeral on October 10, though no top Russian officials attended. Her posthumous works were later published, and her granddaughter was named Anna in her honor. In 2007, ten suspects were detained, with four facing trials by 2008.

Incident Information:

Date of incident – 07 October 2006

Location of incident – Moscow, Russia

Offense victim of: Assassination

Weapons included – Firearm

Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow.

Suspect(s) Information:

Perpetrator Identified: Yes

Name: Rustom Makhmudov

Proof of Targeting the Journalist: Confirming the arrest, Russian prosecutors said the detainee would be transferred to Moscow “shortly” as part of the investigatory procedure. Mr. Makhmudov’s lawyer, Saidakhmed Arsamerzayev, said the defence would seek to disprove key video evidence which allegedly shows his client’s face.

Reason for Killing: The murder was aimed at undermining confidence in law and order in Russia. The organizers [of Politkovskaya’s murder] “wanted to show that well-known people can be killed here in broad daylight, the law enforcement agencies seemingly unable to solve such crimes”.

Progress of the Case: One of the brothers, Rustom Makhmudov, was found guilty of pulling the trigger. His brother was found guilty of acting as a getaway driver. The five men, who face possible life terms, will be sentenced on Wednesday morning. A committee set up to investigate the shooting said it was looking for the person who ordered the operation. Her family welcomed the verdict but also expressed disappointment that the mastermind of the killing had not yet been found. Last Year, a former police officer, Dimitry Pavlyuchenkov, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for supplying the murder weapon.

Success Factor in Anna’s Case: The success factor in Anna Politkovskaya’s case was persistent international advocacy and media attention, which pressured Russian authorities to investigate and prosecute the hitmen. Although the masterminds remain unidentified, convictions of several perpetrators were achieved due to sustained efforts by journalists, human rights groups, and Politkovskaya’s family.

Read More: https://www.amnestyusa.org/cases/anna-politkovskaya/