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Politkovskaya trial closed to public
Supporters of murdered Russian investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya slammed a judge's decision yesterday to close to the public the trial of three men accused of helping to kill her.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:15 November 19, 2008
- Politkovskaya's family had pressed for the trial to be public, saying that was the only way to ensure justice was done in the politically charged case..
- Image Credit: AP
Moscow: Supporters of murdered Russian investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya slammed a judge's decision yesterday to close to the public the trial of three men accused of helping to kill her.
Politkovskaya's family had pressed for the trial to be public, saying that was the only way to ensure justice was done in the politically charged case.
The judge at Moscow's main military court overturned an earlier ruling that the trial be held in public, saying jurors had refused to enter the court room in the presence of reporters, a lawyer for Politkovskaya's family said.
"From our point of view, they were simply afraid of fulfilling their duty," said lawyer Karina Moskalenko. "I am deeply frustrated because the decision cannot be appealed against," she said.
"This is a disgraceful, secret, backroom decision, which will prevent society from getting acquainted with how the case is built," said Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper where Politkovskaya worked.
"This is terrible. It simply will not do," Muratov told Ekho Moskvy radio station. He said he would get round the ban on press coverage by publishing transcripts of the court proceedings in his newspaper.
Politkovskaya, a 48-year-old mother of two, was shot dead on October 7, 2006 outside her flat in Moscow. She was a fierce critic of the Kremlin and reported on human rights abuses in Chechnya and elsewhere in Russia.
Her murder was one of the highest profile killings of former President Vladimir Putin's eight-year rule and highlighted the plight faced by reporters.
Russia is ranked as the world's third most dangerous place for reporters by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which lists 49 journalists killed in Russia since 1992. Only Iraq and Algeria had more.
Police have not arrested the person they believe ordered Politkovskaya's murder and the Chechen man accused of pulling the trigger, Rustam Makhmudov, is on the run.
Two of his brothers, Dzhabrail Makhmudov and Ibragim Makhmudov, and former policeman Sergei Khadzhikurbanov appeared in court on Monday.
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