Russia

All accused acquitted in Politkovskaya murder trial

Article published on the 2009-02-19 Latest update 2009-02-19 16:58 TU

Ibragim Makhmudov (2nd R) and Dzhabrail Makhmudov (R)
(Photo: Reuters)

A Russian jury has acquitted all the defendants in a trial relating to the murder of dissident journalist Anna Politkovskaya. None of the defendants were accused of firing the gun which killed Politkovskaya. They were acquitted of any involvement in the crime. Prosecutors say they will appeal.

The acquitted men are:

* Dzhabraila and Ibragim Makhmudov: Two Chechen brothers accused of driving the killer to the scene of murder;

* Sergei Khadzhikurbanov: A former police investigator accused of providing logistical assistance;

* Pavel Ryaguzov: a former security service agent accused of extortion relating to the case.

Relatives of the accused shouted "Bravo, well done!" and "Thank you!" and defence lawyer Murad Mussayev hailed "an honest verdict".

But prosecutors say they will appeal and predicted a "99 per cent chance" that the Supreme Court will annul the verdict.

"They have neither found the person who ordered the killing, the organisers, nor the people who committed the crime," said the Politkovskaya family's lawyer, Karinna Moskalenko.

Politskaya, who worked for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was shot dead in 2006 in the lift of her Moscow apartment block in an apparent contract killing.

She was known as a critic of then-President Vladimir Putin, publishing a book called Putin's Russia which accused him of using the war in Chechnya as a pretext for destroying democracy in Russia.

Last month 25-year-old Anastasiya Baburova, who was working as a trainee on Novaya Gazeta, was shot dead in central Moscow along with human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov, after they had attended a press conference.