International reaction to the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya


The assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist, writer, and recipient of numerous international awards, took place on Saturday, 7 October 2006. She was found shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow. Her murder, viewed as a contract killing, sparked a strong international reaction.

Reaction in Russia

Vitaly Yaroshevsky, deputy editor of Novaya Gazeta where she worked, said: "The first thing that comes to mind is that Anna was killed for her professional activities. We don't see any other motive for this terrible crime." He said Politkovskaya gave an interview to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty last week in which she said she was a witness in a criminal case against Ramzan Kadyrov in connection with abductions in Chechnya - a case based on her reporting. In that same interview, she called Kadyrov the "Stalin of our days".
Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet President who promoted transparency and democracy and is concerned about the increasing lack of pluralism in the country, became a minority shareholder to support the newspaper Novaya Gazeta this summer. Gorbachev told the Russian news agency Interfax about this assassination: "It is a savage crime against a professional and serious journalist and a courageous woman", "It is a blow to the entire democratic, independent press. It is a grave crime against the country, against all of us." He also said the killing might have been intended to cast a pall over Putin's Kremlin.
On October 10, 2006, Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke out on the murder of Politkovskaya:

Statements by international organizations

, a spokeswoman for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: "She was an intrepid and brave reporter who repeatedly risked her life to report the news from that region. It's a devastating development for journalism in Russia."
Aidan White of the International Federation of Journalists described her as bravest of the new breed of brave reporters who emerged in the dying days of the Soviet Union. "She faced down threats from all sides and was an inspiration to journalists both at home and abroad. Her death is a shocking outrage that will stun the world of journalism."
Amnesty International said that it was appalled by the murder. Nicola Duckworth, Director of the organization's Europe and Central Asia Programme, said "Russia has lost a brave and dedicated human rights defender, who spoke out fearlessly against violence and injustice, and campaigned tirelessly to see justice done."
Jiri Grusa, President of International PEN said that "Anna Politkovskaya a courageous writer known for her criticism not only of the Chechen war but also of the totalitarian backlash characterizing the latest developments in Russia. Her death raises serious concerns and confirms all the fears," and "We protest in the strongest terms the situation in Russia that has allowed this to occur."

Cultural references

Young Finnish musicians wrote a song in Politkovskaya's memory. The song is titled "Uuden ajan kynnyksellä — laulu Anna Politkovskajalle" and it was recorded on 19 October in Helsinki. The song is released on the Internet on 20 October for free and an accompanying music video will be released on YouTube. If there's enough demand, a CD single will also be produced.

Demonstrations

On 8 October 2006, hundreds rallied in downtown Moscow to protest the murder of Anna Politkovskaya and the recent crackdown on ethnic Georgians. The demonstration was described by the Moscow-based liberal Echo of Moscow radio station as "the largest protest rally of the opposition recently held in Russia." During the day following information about Politkovskaya's death, there was a demonstration and memorial consisting of 500 people in Moscow, and 300 people gathering in St. Petersburg. Further rallies and vigils took place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Saratov and Krasnoyarsk, as well as London, Paris, New York, and Washington.
A day after the murder more than one thousand people gathered at the Russian embassy in Helsinki, Finland to pay their respects to Politkovskaya . The demonstration was silent, with people holding candles. Two of Politkovskaya's books have been published in Finland as translated editions.
On 10 October, 2,000 demonstrators called Putin a "murderer" during his visit to Dresden, Germany.
About 400 demonstrators gathered in central Moscow’s Pushkin Square on 7 April 2007, exactly six months after the journalist’s murder, Echo of Moscow radio reported the same day. Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky told the gathering that the killings of Politkovskaya, journalist Dmitry Kholodov, Russian Public TV head Vladislav Listyev and newspaper editor Larisa Yudina, who headed his party’s Kalmykia branch, like "many other well-known and obscure political murders," were "never investigated", reported. And on April 5, Reporters sans Frontieres had said it was waiting with "the utmost impatience" for Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika to reveal the findings of his office's investigation of Politkovskaya's murder. "Statements praising his department's staff offer no guarantee that this horrible crime is being solved," the organization’s press release added, referring to Chaika’s March 29 comments hailing the work done by those in charge of the investigation.
"The passing months must not result in any weakening in the campaign on Politkovskaya's behalf. We must continue to press for justice to be done in this case and for an end to impunity in Russia." Reporters Without Borders added, "If the authorities fail to produce concrete and conclusive evidence, the creation of an international commission of enquiry or a Russian parliamentary commission of enquiry could prove necessary." Reporters Without Borders quoted Novaya Gazeta editor Sergei Sokolov as saying, "For the time being, we have no criticism to make about the work of the prosecutor's office." Sokolov had refused to divulge any details about the case because, he said, "a leak could have a disastrous effect on the investigation", the press freedom organization added.

Official statements by governments

' — President Alu Alkhanov, in his interview with Itar-Tass, expressed his revulsion over Politkovskaya's murder:
' — The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs gave the following statement, as Finland held the Presidency of the EU Council at that time:
' — President Tarja Halonen said she was shocked and horrified at the killing and expressed the hope that Russia would soon find ways of preventing any repetition of such crimes:
' — French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday sent a letter to Politkovskaya's two children:
' — President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili commented, on October 8, 2006, on Politkovskaya’s death, stating that
' — At a joint press conference with Russian President Putin, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her shock at the murder of Politkovskaya.
' — In a statement in Dresden, Germany that came three days after the murder, President Vladimir Putin promised a "thorough investigation." Furthermore:
' — The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, stated:
' — Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko stated in a press release:

' — In a joint statement with President of the United States George W. Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair said:
— President George W. Bush condemned the murder of Politkovskaya: