Russians commemorate murdered journalist

[Spencer Collins]

Russians commemorate murdered journalist


Tom Parfitt in Moscow
Monday October 8, 2007
The Guardian

Thousands of people across Russia yesterday held protests and vigils to mark the first anniversary of the death of Anna Politkovskaya, the journalist who was shot dead by an assassin in the lift of her Moscow apartment block.
In the capital's Pushkin Square, opposition leaders braved heavy rain to address a rally of about 1,200 protesters, who accused the authorities of failing to solve the murder.

Mrs Politkovskaya was a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and a tireless reporter of human rights abuses in Chechnya. She died instantly when shot in the head at point-blank range shortly after 4pm on October 7 last year.


Ten people were arrested in August in connection with the killing, but at least two have been released and the investigation has not established who ordered the murder.
Dmitry Muratov, editor of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper where Mrs Polit-kovskaya worked, accused the security services of trying to disrupt the inquiry into her death. "We should fight for freedom," he told demonstrators. "We should keep Anna in our hearts and we should not follow the instructions of Putin."


Mrs Politkovskaya's colleagues believe she was assassinated in revenge for her reporting, which often exposed corruption and malpractice by state officials.


Mikhail Kasyanov, the former prime minister who has turned Kremlin critic, said: "We demand that the powers find and punish the killers of Anna Politkovskaya and other politicians and journalists."

Many in the crowd carried portraits of Mrs Politkovskaya and chanted: "We won't forget and we won't forgive!" A cordon of riot police in camouflage and grey capes stood around the demonstrators.

After the protest, hundreds of mourners gathered outside 8 Lesnaya Street, the central Moscow address where Mrs Polit-kovskaya was killed. They laid flowers and candles by the doorway, where portraits of the reporter were taped to the wall.

Irina Dmitrieva, a teacher in her mid-50s who had travelled from the suburbs to place a bunch of carnations, said: "She was a person who said we must do something to remove this Putin regime and return genuine democracy to Russia." Mrs Dmitrieva added: "I was very frightened for her. I thought the authorities wouldn't let her go on for long writing like that."

Several former and serving police and security officers were among the 10 people arrested in August. The government says they were acting on their own initiative.

More ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...185752,00.html

The more things change,the more they stay the same..RIP Anna Politkovskaya,I salute YOU!

[cnredd]

Unfortunately, the only thing thing the US can do is wait...

Putin is "old school" and the next person most likely will not be...