…CRUCIFIXION REVIVED.

In her article, Politkovskaya noted, almost in passing, that the Russian forces in Chechnya have revived an ancient and cruel form of torture and execution: crucifixion. “They wanted to crucify Sharpuddi,” she wrote, “as they had done with another man before him, by nailing him to a rude cross, but they were in a hurry, and so they limited themselves to driving nails through his hands. I looked at those holes in his hands… and I was unable to meet his gaze” (Novaya Gazeta, July 1).