The murderer of the Kremlin-critical journalist Anna Politkovskaya is to be released early from prison in return for military service in Ukraine. He was originally not supposed to be released until 2034.
Around 17 years after the murder of Kremlin-critical journalist Anna Politkovskaya, one of the convicted perpetrators in Russia was released early from prison – in return for military service in Ukraine. The lawyer for the man who was sentenced to 20 years in a prison camp in 2014 confirmed this to the RBK news portal, according to an article. According to the Telegram channel Baza, the former police officer was already fighting in Ukraine at the end of 2022. After six months, he is said to have extended his contract with the Ministry of Defense. It is not known exactly where he is currently deployed.
Dmitri Muratov, the editor-in-chief of the renowned newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, for which Politkovskaya wrote at the time and which has now been banned in Russia in the wake of the war of aggression against Ukraine, also commented on the case. “The rights of the victims are systematically disregarded by the state,” said the 62-year-old, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, to the Internet medium “Ostoroschno Media”. The criminal was originally not supposed to be released from prison until 2034.
Atone with “blood on the battlefield.”
In recent weeks, cases in which some serious criminals have been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin so that they can go to war against neighboring Ukraine have repeatedly caused a stir in Russia. The Kremlin defends the controversial recruitment practice as a way for those convicted to atone for their crimes through “blood on the battlefield.”
Politkovskaya was shot dead in front of her apartment in Moscow in October 2006. Several men from the Russian republic of Chechnya in the North Caucasus were convicted of the attack, which received worldwide attention. The now released man is said to have shadowed the journalist, who was valued for her critical reporting on Chechnya, before she was killed. Politkovskaya’s family suspects a political motive behind the murder and is still demanding a full investigation to this day.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
