Three suspects are due to be charged with the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The case has been handed over by the General Prosecutor's Office to be considered in court.
This is not the final list of suspects and according to prosecutors, their investigation continues. The apparent contract-killing of a journalist famed for her fearless reporting shocked the world. Politkovskaya was gunned down outside her apartment block on October 7, 2006. She worked for many Russian newspapers and her last employer was Russia’s opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Politkovskaya was Russia's most prominent reporter, who gained international recognition for her sharp criticism of the Kremlin. She was also famous for her investigation of human rights violations in the republic of Chechnya. Many Russian analysts say her assassination was linked to her work on conflict-torn Chechnya. The main suspect is 34-year-old Chechen resident Rustam Makmoodov. He's been charged with murder, but remains at large. Investigators have issued an international arrest warrant. After two years of investigating, officials are saying they're one step closer to finding justice in the murder case. Colleagues and journalists who were close to Politkovskaya fear the mystery is far from being solved. They say facts relating to this murder case may continue to emerge for many years to come. Their main concern is that someone might get convicted but that the ivestigation will fail to uncover who was actually behind the killing. Politkovskaya’s colleagues are planning to hold a rally in Moscow next Tuesday. The event’s organisers have stressed this will not be a political event, just a meeting in memory of the slain Russian investigative journalist.