Russia: Two sentenced to life in Politkovskaya murder
Two of the five men convicted of the 2006 murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya have been sentenced to life imprisonment, according to Interfax news agency.
A Moscow judge found Rustam Makhmudov guilty of pulling the trigger in the shooting, while his uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev organised the logistics.
But the mastermind behind the killing remains at large, as Investigative Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markin explained.
“The investigative committee continues its work to find out who ordered the murder. Unfortunately, a lot depends on our foreign colleagues, especially in Great Britain and Turkey. We’ve made a number of inquiries, but have not yet received a response.”
A video was released, believed to show Politkovskaya being followed prior to being killed.
Makhmudov’s two brothers were sentenced to 12 and 14 years for helping with the tracking, while the fifth, a former police officer, was given 20 years for helping to prepare the murder.
Politkovskaya was gunned down in her apartment building. She was 48.
Her work focussed on uncovering state corruption and rights abuses and her untimely death raised international alarm over the perils of criticising the Kremlin.
A Moscow judge found Rustam Makhmudov guilty of pulling the trigger in the shooting, while his uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev organised the logistics.
But the mastermind behind the killing remains at large, as Investigative Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markin explained.
“The investigative committee continues its work to find out who ordered the murder. Unfortunately, a lot depends on our foreign colleagues, especially in Great Britain and Turkey. We’ve made a number of inquiries, but have not yet received a response.”
A video was released, believed to show Politkovskaya being followed prior to being killed.
Makhmudov’s two brothers were sentenced to 12 and 14 years for helping with the tracking, while the fifth, a former police officer, was given 20 years for helping to prepare the murder.
Politkovskaya was gunned down in her apartment building. She was 48.
Her work focussed on uncovering state corruption and rights abuses and her untimely death raised international alarm over the perils of criticising the Kremlin.