Killing of Politkovskaya could be linked for her reporting on Chechnya
PRAGUE, October 8, Caucasus Times – Anna Politkovskaya, a prominent Russian journalist known for her critical coverage of the war in Chechnya, was shot dead on October 7 in her apartment building in Moscow.
Moscow police said Politkovskaya’s body was found by a neighbor in an elevator in the apartment building where she was living in the city center. The Interfax news agency quoted police officials as saying a pistol and four bullets were found in the elevator. Police sources quoted by Russian media say Ms Politkovskaya was shot three times in the body and once in the head.
Politkovskaya was respected for her critical, in-depth coverage of the Russian government’s campaign in Chechnya. She worked for “Novaya gazeta,” a newspaper known for its opposition to the Kremlin. The paper suggests on its front page that she was killed for her reporting on Chechnya. Deputy Prosecutor Vyacheslav Rosinsky said that one theory was that the killing had been “linked to the victim’s social or professional duties”.
Grainy CCTV footage from the building shows a man in a baseball cap following her inside just before the shooting.
Reports say supporters have gathered outside the building, many laying flowers at the site.