Russia
Politkovskaya’s murderer chargedPosted Jul 1 2008
Thirty-four-year-old Chechen Rustam Makhmudov was charged May 12 in abstentia by the Investigative Committee at Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office for the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006, CPJ reports. There is an international warrant out for his arrest.
Makhmudov’s name was first leaked to the Russian press in late March, but this is the first official confirmation of his identity. Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov claims the leak is responsible for allowing the suspect to continually evade arrest.
His three brothers — Ibragim, Dzhabrail and Tamerlan — are among the seven people currently in jail as suspects in the journalist’s murder. Shamil Burayev, the former head of the Achkhoi-Martan administrative district of Chechnya who is claimed to have organized the murder, is also in custody. Two other suspects were released but are banned from leaving the country, committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.