The Russian authorities pardoned Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, one of the five men convicted over the 2006 murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Khadzhikurbanov, a former Moscow police officer, was condemned to 20 years in 2014. According to his lawyer, the pardon is due to a contract to fight for the Russian forces in Ukraine.
Anna Politkovskaya was an internationally renowned investigative reporter and vocal critic of Russia’s war in Chechnya and Russian President Vladimir Putin. She was murdered in 2006.
“The pardon by the Russian authorities of one of the men convicted in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya is an insult to justice, compounded by the fact that the masterminds behind this horrific crime were never revealed nor convicted,” said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović.
“Anna Politkovskaya’s remarkable work, highlighting human rights violations and championing free speech, exemplifies the vital role of journalists in a democratic society and is a testimony of her courage to speak truth to power.
The fight for justice should continue. The memory of her life and work dedicated to journalism should continue to inspire future generations.
I express my deepest solidarity with her family and fellow journalists in Russia and abroad.”
