Briefs

Four Charged in Connection with Politkovskaya Murder

Four men – three of them Chechens – have been charged in connection with the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. “Three suspects have been charged with the murder of the journalist: Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov,” Agence France-Press on June 18 quoted the Investigative Committee as saying in a statement announcing the end of the murder inquiry. The committee said that a fourth man, Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Pavel Ryaguzov, had been charged with abuse of power and extortion in connection with the inquiry. AFP quoted a committee spokeswoman as saying that the suspected trigger man, Rustam Makhmudov, remains at large and that the case is now expected to go to trial but giving no further details about motives or circumstances of the murder. Dmitry Muratov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper where Politkovskaya worked, said the investigation was far from complete considering that neither the person who ordered the contract murder nor the killer had been found. “The case has not been solved,” Gazeta.ru quoted Muratov as saying “This announcement does not satisfy the newsroom or members of Anna Politkovskaya’s family. We insist that this case is followed through.” According to AFP, the Investigative Committee spokeswoman said that all charges have been dropped against Shamil Buraev, a former head of Chechnya’s Achkhoi-Martan district, who was arrested earlier in the investigation (Chechnya Weekly, June 5).

Kadyrov Orders Chechen Siloviki to Dress Properly

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered the republic’s Interior Ministry to fire employees who do not follow service regulations concerning attire. “There are people strutting around with weapons on the streets of the city [Grozny] and it is difficult to tell from their outward appearance which power structures they belong to,” Gzt.ru on June 17 quoted Kadyrov as saying. “I regard this as negligence with respect to their official duties.”