Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya
Occupation	Journalist

Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya (Russian: Анна Степановна Политковская; 30 August 1958 – 7 October 2006) was a Russian journalist and human rights activist well known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and the Putin administration. She was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment building on 7 October 2006.

Politkovskaya made her name reporting from Chechnya for Russia's liberal newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. The BBC described her writing as "often polemical, as bitter in its condemnation of the Russian army and the Russian government as it was fervent in support of human rights and the rule of law." Her murder, widely perceived as a contract killing, sparked strong international reaction and controversial debate.

Biography

Early life

Politkovskaya was born Anna Mazepa in New York City in 1958 to Soviet Ukrainian parents, both of whom served as diplomats to the United Nations. She grew up in Moscow and graduated from the Moscow State University Department of Journalism in 1980. She defended a thesis about the poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva. Politkovskaya was a citizen of both the United States of America and Russian Federation.

Journalist work

Politkovskaya worked for Izvestia from 1982 to 1993, and then as a reporter, editor of emergencies/accidents section, and assistant chief editor of Obshchaya Gazeta led by Yegor Yakovlev (1994-1999). From June 1999 to 2006, she wrote columns for the news publication Novaya Gazeta. She published several award-winning books about Chechnya, life in Russia, and President Putin's regime, most recently the book Putin's Russia.

Politkovskaya received wide acclaim for her work in Chechnya, where she frequently visited hospitals and refugee camps to interview the victims. Her numerous articles critical of the war in Chechnya included allegations of abuses committed under the Russian-backed Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov, as well as his son, deputy prime -minister, then prime-minister, Ramzan Kadyrov. She also wrote a book critical of the Putin presidency, specifically his pursuit of the Second Chechen War. Politkovskaya chronicled human rights abuses and policy failures in Chechnya and elsewhere in Russia's North Caucasus, and wrote books on the subject, including A Dirty War: A Russian Reporter in Chechnya and A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya, in which painted a picture of brutal war in which thousands of innocent citizens have been tortured, abducted or killed at the hands of Chechen or federal authorities. One of her most recent investigations was about alleged mass poisoning of hundreds of Chechen school children by an unknown chemical substance of strong and prolonged action, which made them completely incapable for many months. Critics accused her of being partisan by concentrating on the activities of Russian federal forces, but her supporters claim that she also strongly criticized the brutal tactics of the terrorists.

She had, on several occasions, been involved in negotiating the release of hostages, including the Moscow theater hostage crisis of 2002 and the Beslan school hostage crisis of 2004. While traveling to Beslan to help in negotiations with the hostage-takers, Politkovskaya fell violently ill and lost consciousness after drinking tea. She had been reportedly poisoned, with some accusing the former Soviet secret police poison facility of the involvement in the plot.

While attending a conference on the freedom of press organized by Reporters Without Borders in Vienna in December 2005 Politkovskaya said: "People sometimes pay with their lives for saying aloud what they think. In fact, one can even get killed for giving me information. I am not the only one in danger. I have examples that prove it." In Moscow she was not invited to press conferences or gatherings that Kremlin officials might attend, in case the organizers were suspected of harboring sympathies toward her. Despite this, many top officials allegedly talked to her when she was writing articles or conducting investigations -- according to her own article, they did talk to her, "but only when they weren't likely be observed: outside in crowds, or in houses that they approached by different routes, like spies". She often received death threats as a result of her work; including being threatened with rape and experiencing a mock execution after being arrested by the military in Chechnya. [1] In 2001, Politkovskaya fled to Vienna, following e-mail threats claiming that the OMON police officer whom she had accused of committing atrocities against civilians was looking to take revenge. The officer, Sergei Lapin, was arrested and charged in 2002, but the case against him was closed the following year. In 2005, Lapin was convicted and jailed for torturing and "disappearing" a Chechen civilian detainee, the case exposed by Anna Politkovskaya in the article "Disappearing People". [2]

Criticism of Politkovskaya

Critics accused her of being partisan in her damning reports on the cruelty of Russian federal forces, but she "did not hold back on criticism of the Chechen rebels' brutal tactics either". She was also blamed after her death and based on secondary sources for unwillingness to check facts before reporting them if she felt they furthered her cause

During a reporting trip in 2001, Politkovskaya was detained by military officials in the Chechen village of Khottuni. [3] When she was released, Politkovskaya wrote: "I have seen with my own eyes this filtration camp: these are in fact same holes - zidanes, which the resistance forces have, where people are put with the help of ropes and are then traded out of for ransom. There is a strict reservation, in which people must exist, or more like die..." directly accusing General Alexander Baranov, then commander of the Chechen federal troops, of these crimes. The publication was followed by a criminal investigation based on the allegations, but a delegation of official human rights envoys was unable to find any such pits. At a later press conference in Moscow, Politikovskaya allegedly admitted that she had never actually seen the pits herself, but that witnesses related seeing them to her. In 2006 Baranov was found guilty of having ordering a summary execution of a Chechen detainee by the European Court of Human Rights [4], while the existance of zindan prisoner holding pits in Chechnya has been confirmed and documented by the human rights groups such as Memorial. [5]

Against this backdrop, it would seem that despite a brave and sincere commitment to unravelling corruption and atrocities wherever possible, Politkovskaya was sometimes viewed as an activist rather than reporter. Politkovskaya said about herself that she was not an investigating magistrate but somebody who describes the life of the citizens for those who cannot see it for themselves, because what is shown on television and written about in the overwhelming majority of newspapers is emasculated and doused with ideology. She claimed that the Kremlin tried to block her access to information and discredit her for that reason. But she continued to accuse her opponents:

"I will not go into the other joys of the path I have chosen, the poisoning, the arrests, the threats in letters and over the Internet, the telephoned death threats, the weekly summons to the prosecutor general's office to sign statements about practically every article I write (the first question being, "How and where did you obtain this information?"). Of course I don't like the constant derisive articles about me that appear in other newspapers and on Internet sites presenting me as the madwoman of Moscow. I find it disgusting to live this way. I would like a bit more understanding."

Awards

• 2001: Prize of the Russian Union of Journalists
• 2001: Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism
• 2002: PEN American Center Freedom to Write Award
• 2002: International Women's Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award
• 2003: Lettre Ulysses Award
• 2003: Hermann Kesten Medal
• 2004: Olof Palme Prize (shared with Lyudmila Alekseyeva and Sergei Kovalev)
• 2005: Prize for the Freedom and Future of the Media [6]
• 2006: International Journalism Award named after Tiziano Terzani

Assassination

Main article: Anna Politkovskaya assassination

Politkovskaya was found shot dead on Saturday, 7 October 2006 in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow. Police said a Makarov pistol and four shell casings were found beside her body. Early reports indicated a contract killing, as she was shot four times, once in the head, but if so it was unclear who ordered the killing.

Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said that on the day of her murder, Politkovskaya had planned to file a lengthy story on torture practices believed to be used by Chechen security detachments known as Kadyrovites which are loyal to pro-Moscow Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov who she described as Chechen "Stalin of our days"[7]. A day after Politkovskaya was found dead, police seized her computer hard disk and material she had assembled for an investigative article; the story may now never be published. Additionally, Muratov said, two photographs of the suspected torturers have disappeared.

Spontaneous citizens' memorial at entrance to Anna Politkovskaya's Moscow apartment 10. Oct. 2006

Prosecutor General Yury Chaika is personally overseeing the investigation. His office said investigators were considering Politkovskaya's professional work as the primary motive for her murder. Billionaire State Duma deputy Alexander Lebedev, who bought 90 percent of Novaya Gazeta in June 2006, has posted a reward of 25 million rubles, just under US$1 million, for information leading to those responsible for Politkovskaya's death, Ekho Moskvy reported.

The funeral was held on Tuesday, 10 October, at 2:30 p.m., at the Troyekurovsky Cemetery. Before Politkovskaya was laid to rest, more than 1,000 people filed past her coffin to pay their last respects. Dozens of Politkovskaya's colleagues, public figures and admirers of her work gathered at a cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow for the funeral. No high-ranking Russian officials could be seen at the ceremony.

Former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko accused Vladimir Putin of personally ordering the assassination of Politkovskaya and claimed that politician Irina Hakamada warned Politkovskaya about threats to her life coming from the Russian government [8]. In that regard, Politkovskaya asked for a piece of advice from Litvinenko. He had recommended that she escape from Russia immediately. Hakamada denied that she had passed any specific threats, and said that she warned Politkovskaya only in general terms more than a year ago, and that Politkovskaya blamed her and Mikhail Kasyanov for becoming Kremlin's puppets. [9]

Reaction

Vitaly Yaroshevsky, deputy editor of Novaya Gazeta, said: "The first thing that comes to mind is that Anna was killed for her professional activities. We don't see any other motive for this terrible crime." Yaroshevsky said there were no immediate theories about who might be behind her killing, and noted that it might be convenient for an enemy of Kadyrov to kill Politkovskaya in order to blacken the Chechen premier’s name. He said Politkovskaya gave an interview to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty last week in which she said she was a witness in a criminal case against Kadyrov in connection with abductions in Chechnya—a case based on her reporting. In that same interview, she called Kadyrov the "Stalin of our day." Law-enforcement sources said they were probing a "Chechen trail" in the apparent contract-killing, the Interfax news agency reported.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet President who promoted transparency and democracy, and is concerned about the increasing lack of pluralism in the country, became a minority shareholder to support the newspaper Novaya Gazeta this summer. Gorbachev told the Russian news agency Interfax about this assassination: "It is a savage crime against a professional and serious journalist and a courageous woman", "It is a blow to the entire democratic, independent press. It is a grave crime against the country, against all of us."

Abi Wright, a spokeswoman for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: "She was an intrepid and brave reporter who repeatedly risked her life to report the news from that region. It's a devastating development for journalism in Russia."

Aidan White of the International Federation of Journalists described her as bravest of the new breed of brave reporters who emerged in the dying days of the Soviet Union. "She faced down threats from all sides and was an inspiration to journalists both at home and abroad. Her death is a shocking outrage that will stun the world of journalism."

Amnesty International said that it was appalled by the murder. Nicola Duckworth, Director of the organization's Europe and Central Asia Programme, said "Russia has lost a brave and dedicated human rights defender, who spoke out fearlessly against violence and injustice, and campaigned tirelessly to see justice done."

President Vladimir Putin told his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on the phone Monday that Russia's law enforcement agencies were doing everything possible to investigate the murder of Politkovskaya. Putin's statement was his first public comment on the murder of Politkovskaya. Journalists and activists said Putin's comments came too late and questioned his decision to break two days of silence only during a phone conversation. "Putin was elected by the population of Russia and not by President Bush," said Oleg Panfilov, the head of the Center for Extreme Journalism, a press rights watchdog.

Lyudmila Alekseyeva, the director of the Moscow Helsinki Group, said Putin's slow response was a betrayal of his role as head of state. "In such an exceptional case—the murder of a world-renowned, admirable journalist—the country's president should comment swiftly on such an incident," she said. "Russian citizens want to hear the president's opinion and whether he can guarantee the security of those journalists who try to follow in Anna Politkovskaya's footsteps, to be honest journalists."

Jiri Grusa, President of International PEN said that "Anna Politkovskaya (was) a courageous writer known for her criticism not only of the Chechen war but also of the totalitarian backlash characterizing the latest developments in Russia. Her death raises serious concerns and confirms all the fears," and "We protest in the strongest terms the situation in Russia that has allowed this to occur."

Demonstrations

A demonstration by well-known human rights activists, political figures and several hundred supporters occurred in Moscow the day after Politkovskaya's murder. Instead of an originally planned demonstration to protest the recent crackdown on ethnic Georgians, the proceedings instead became focused on Politkovskaya. Moscow-based radio station Echo of Moscow described it as "the largest action of the Russian opposition in recent times." Further rallies and vigils took place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Saratov and Krasnoyarsk, as well as London, Paris, New York, and Washington.

In Helsinki, Finland, over a thousand people gathered at the Russian embassy to pay their respects to Politkovskaya. The demonstration was silent, with people holding candles.

On 10 October, 2,000 demonstrators called Putin a "murderer" during his visit to Dresden, Germany.

Political reaction

Chechen Republic of Ichkeria — The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Akhmed Zakayev, expressed:

"outrage" at the murder, calling on the world community "to condemn in the strongest possible terms the demonstrative execution of one of the foremost champions of human rights and freedoms, and to conduct an independent international inquiry into this heinous act of terrorism."

Chechnya — President Alu Alkhanov, in his interview with Itar-Tass, expressed his revulsion over Politkovskaya's murder:

stating that those responsible should receive "the most severe punishment." He noted that while his views on what has occurred in Chechnya are very different from those of Politkovskaya, he shared her view on the destiny of the Chechen people. He also expressed his condolences to her colleagues.

Chechnya — Chechen Premier Minister Ramzan Kadyrov denied rumors on the so-called "Chechen trace" in case of the murder of Politkovskaya.

"To speculate on this bloody crime without any reasons and serious proofs means to argue at the level of rumors and gossips; it does not adorn either the press or politicians," Kadyrov stressed. Also, he said that to attempt the life of a journalist means to try to prevent freedom of speech. "Despite not always objective character of the journalist's materials about Chechnya, I regret very much the events happened in such way," the premier said.

Europe — The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs [10] gave the following statement, as Finland at that time held the Presidency of the EU Council:

"The Presidency of the European Union has learned with deep regret about the killing in Moscow of Anna Politkovskaya, well-known journalist and defender of freedom of expression in Russia. The Presidency calls for a thorough investigation of this heinous crime and the bringing of its perpetrators to justice." and "On behalf of the European Union, the Presidency expresses its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Anna Politkovskaya."

Finland — President Tarja Halonen said she was shocked and horrified at the killing and expressed the hope that Russia would soon find ways of preventing any repetition of such crimes:

"I very much hope that two things can be achieved in Russia through different means. One is respect for different opinions and the other is a strengthening of the rule of law, so that people can have a sense of safety." [...] "Taking a human life, hurting someone, is always a shocking matter. And when this apparently also involves the violation of freedom of expression it makes the crime that much more appalling."

Finland — The Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, stated:

"I'm deeply shocked about this [murder], I knew her and I was familiar with her work. I knew she was extremely brave, because for her revelations, outspokenness and honesty she has gained many enemies. This kind of murder will put the credibility of the Russian administration into question. We will now see to what degree the Russian authorities are able and willing to solve the murder and bring to account the offenders, wherever the evidence may lead."

France — French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday sent a letter to Politkovskaya's two children:

"The hateful murder of your mother" ... "has shocked me just as it has shocked all the French and all those who defend press freedom," Chirac said. "You should understand how important it is to France that everything be done to ensure justice is done and that the murderers of your mother be found and punished."

Georgia — President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili commented, on October 8 2006, on Politkovskaya’s death, stating that "[she] was one of the biggest friends of Georgia to which she dedicated a series of very good articles in the last years." The members of the Parliament of Georgia, who knew Politkovskaya personally, described Politkovskaya as "a conscience of Russian journalism" and blamed "a general human rights situation in Russia" for the tragedy.

Germany — At a joint press conference with Russian President Putin, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her shock at the murder of Politkovskaya.

"The Russian president has promised me that everything possible will be done to solve that murder," she added.

Russia — In a statement in Dresden, Germany that came three days after the murder, President Vladimir Putin promised a "thorough investigation." Furthermore:

"Whoever has committed this crime," Putin said, "and whatever their guiding motives, we should state that this is a horribly cruel crime. It must not remain unpunished, of course." According to Putin, Politkovskaya's influence on Russian political life was ";very minor." Politkovskaya was a critic of the authorities, Putin noted, and her influence should not be overestimated. "It was minimal," he concluded. "She was known among journalists and in human rights circles and in the West, but I repeat that she had no influence on political life. Her murder causes much more harm than her publications did. Whoever did it will be punished." Two hours later, at the session of the St. Petersburg Dialog, the subject arose again. "Those people who are hiding from Russian justice are willing to sacrifice anyone to create a wave of anti-Russian feeling," Putin said.

Sweden — The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, stated:

"I have been deeply saddened and distressed to hear of the killing of Anna Politkovskaya. Her struggle for human rights and freedoms was an important contribution to the work of making a better Russia and a better Europe. I sincerely hope that the Russian authorities will do their utmost to apprehend those responsible and clarify what lies behind this deed."

Ukraine — Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko stated in a press release:

“In Ukraine, we will always remember Anna Politkovskaya as an honest and courageous journalist committed to the ideas of justice and the protection of human rights."

United Kingdom — In a joint statement with President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair said:

"We condemn this murder and call for a thorough investigation into this terrible crime." President Bush too urged Moscow "to conduct a vigorous and thorough investigation".

United States — President George W. Bush condemned the murder of Politkovskaya:

"Born in the United States to Soviet diplomats, Anna Politkovskaya cared deeply about her country," President Bush said in a written statement. "Through her efforts to shine a light on human rights abuses and corruption, especially in Chechnya, she challenged her fellow Russians—and, indeed, all of us—to summon the courage and will, as individuals and societies, to struggle against evil and rectify injustices."

United States — In Washington, the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said the United States...

"...is shocked and profoundly saddened by the brutal murder of independent Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya" and that it "urges the Russian government to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation in order to find, prosecute and bring to justice all those responsible for this heinous murder."

Related developments

Anna Politkovskaya was only one of many journalists recently murdered in Russia. From January to October 2006, the list of criminal cases from "Glasnost Defense Foundation" led by Aleksei Simonov from Moscow Helsinki Group included 9 killed and 59 attacked (severely beaten) journalists, and 11 attacks on editorial offices. [11]. In 2005, the list of all cases included 6 murders, 63 attacks, 12 attacks on editorial offices, 23 cases of censorship, 42 criminal prosecutions, 11 illegal layoffs, 47 arrests, 382 lawsuits, 233 cases of obstruction, 23 closings of editorial offices by authorities, 10 evictions, 28 confiscations of printed production, 23 cases of stopping broadcasting, 38 refusals to distribute or print production, 25 acts of intimidation, and 344 other violations of Russian journalist's rights [12].

In a more recent development, ex-KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko died in London, following a lethal dose of radioactive polonium-210, while investigating Politkovskaya's death. The Litvinenko death is currently under investigation by the British authorities. This incident was remarkably similar to the poisoning by thallium of KGB defector Nikolay Khokhlov, and another journalist from Novaya Gazeta Yuri Shchekochikhin (Юрий Щекочихин). The journalist who prepared the interview with Khokhlov for Novaya Gazeta was Politkovskaya. The last book by Schekochikhin was Slaves of KGB (Рабы КГБ). He also investigated the Russian apartment bombings as a member of the Kovalev Commission with Mikhail Trepashkin. Litvinenko was writing a new book about FSB activities including concentration camps in Chechnya. In that regard, he had frequent contacts with Politkovskaya, according to Larisa Volodimirova. On November 24, the day of Litvinenko's death, Russian economist and politician Yegor Gaidar claimed to have been poisoned after drinking a cup of tea. He was taken to hospital but no traces of poisoning were found. This incident was similar to the poisoning of Politkovskaya on her flight to Beslan.

Former KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky believed that the murders of Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, Yuri Shchekochikhin, Politkovskaya, Litvinenko and others mean that FSB has returned to the practice of political assassinations , which were conducted in the past by the Thirteenth KGB Department.

Other similar cases include the assassinations of Russian politicians Galina Starovoitova and Sergei Yushenkov and the death of journalist Artyom Borovik who also investigated the Russian apartment bombings.

See also

• Alexander Litvinenko
• Artyom Borovik
• Extrajudicial punishment
• Galina Starovoitova
• Georgiy R. Gongadze
• Human rights in Russia
• Malika Umazheva
• Michael Isikoff
• Nadezhda Chaikova
• Nina Yefimova
• Paul Klebnikov
• Politics of Russia
• Richard Behar
• Sergei Yushenkov
• Yuri Shchekochikhin
• Poison laboratory of the Soviet secret services

Further reading

• Политковская, Анна (2003) Вторая чеченская (Second Chechen [War])
• Politkovskaya, Anna (2003) A Dirty War: A Russian Reporter in Chechnya
• Politkovskaya, Anna (2003) A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya
• Politkovskaya, Anna (2004) Putin's Russia
• Politkovskaya, Anna (2007) A Russian Diary

External links

• Interfax Assassination Story
• Short biography from the 2003 Lettre Ulysses Award
• Collected links to Politkovskaya's articles and publications about her
• Last article by Anna Politkovskaya
• www.annapolitkovskaya.com, A tribute site in memory of Anna Politkovskaya
• www.Politkovskaya.org, In the memory of Anna Politkovskaya
• A suspicious death in Russia, The Economist, 8 October 2006
• Obituaries: Anna Politkovskaya, The Times, 9 October 2006
• Russia’s slow death of freedom by Cathy Young, The Boston Globe, 19 October 2006
• Chechnya: Articles by Anna Politkovskaya
• "Russia's Secret Heroes", an excerpt from A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya.
• "Disquiet On The Chechen Front", TIMEeurope Heroes 2003
• Press freedom groups outraged over murder - IFEX
• Listen to Politkovskaya at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
• Video - on the documenting the Chechen war as Russian journalist, PBS' Democracy on Deadline
• Symposium: To Kill a Russian Journalist FrontPageMagazine, November 17, 2006
• Template:Ru icon Anna Politkovskaya, last interview
• Template:Ru icon Novaya Gazeta
• Template:Ru icon Articles by Politkovskaya on the HRO website
• Template:Ru icon Last article by Anna Politkovskaya: Punitive agreement
• Template:Ru icon Oleg Divov (The Beast) City Madwoman
• Template:Ru icon For what reason did Putin the spy kill Politkovskaya?
• Watch and listen in English and Russian, the British investigator Alexander Litvinenko at the Front Line Club accusing Vladimir Putin of the assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaya
• Russia: High-Profile Killings, Attempted Killings In The Post-Soviet Period, Radio Free Europe, October 19, 2006
• Specter, Michael. Kremlin, Inc.The New Yorker, 2007-01-29