Court rules to return Politkovskaya case to prosecutors

Russia's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday to return the case of murdered investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya to prosecutors. Relatives of the investigative journalist had appealed to the court to return the case to prosecutors for a new investigation. Court rules to return Politkovskaya case to prosecutors Novaya Gazeta reporter Politkovskaya, who gained international recognition for her reports of atrocities against civilians in the troubled Caucasus republic of Chechnya, was gunned down in an elevator in her Moscow apartment building in October 2006, in what police described as a contract killing. In February the Moscow Military District Court acquitted Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov, brothers from Chechnya, and former police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov of involvement in the journalist's murder. However, in June Russia's Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and ordered a retrial. The petition from Politkovskaya's family argued that the evidence available for the retrial was the same as during the first trial and that the case had not yet been solved. Lawyers argued the case should be combined with that of the person accused of pulling the trigger, Rustam Makhmudov, who remains at large. A separate case has been opened against him. Karina Moskalenko, one of the lawyers representing Politkovskaya's relatives, earlier said "We want the real killer [in the dock], and we will succeed."

Court rules to return Politkovskaya case to prosecutors

Novaya Gazeta reporter Politkovskaya, who gained international recognition for her reports of atrocities against civilians in the troubled Caucasus republic of Chechnya, was gunned down in an elevator in her Moscow apartment building in October 2006, in what police described as a contract killing.

In February the Moscow Military District Court acquitted Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov, brothers from Chechnya, and former police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov of involvement in the journalist's murder. However, in June Russia's Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and ordered a retrial.

The petition from Politkovskaya's family argued that the evidence available for the retrial was the same as during the first trial and that the case had not yet been solved.

Lawyers argued the case should be combined with that of the person accused of pulling the trigger, Rustam Makhmudov, who remains at large. A separate case has been opened against him.

Karina Moskalenko, one of the lawyers representing Politkovskaya's relatives, earlier said "We want the real killer [in the dock], and we will succeed."