September 6, 2007

When Anna Politkovskaya, Russia’s top investigative reporter, was murdered last October, it was pretty obvious that whoever did it was linked to objects of her often highly critical reporting.

Her murder, however, was highly embarrassing for Vladimir Putin, whose strong-man suppression of opposition politicians and reporters has provoked widespread disgust outside Russia. It was a major breakthrough for justice when the Russian prosecutor-general announced the arrest of 10 people, including former and active members of Russian security agencies, under the direction of a Chechen gang lord.

The question is, will the mastermind of the murder be uncovered?  The prosecutor is blaming an alleged foreign conspiracy. But Politkovskaya enraged many Russian government figures by her courageous reporting. It is they who need to be uncovered.  

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