| On 7th October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was | | | | "The city ruins are like a new Caucasus mountain |
| murdered outside her home in Moscow. The | | | | range. African-style famine. Painfully thin children. Living |
| 48-year-old mother of two who was fiercely critical | | | | streets full of dead eyes. Mad and half-mad people. |
| of the Kremlin's actions in Chechnya was found shot | | | | Streets teeming with weapons. Mines everywhere. |
| dead in a lift at her apartment block in the capital of | | | | Permanent explosions. Despair." |
| Russia. A pistol and four bullets were found near her | | | | Her polemical style earned her many critics in Russia |
| body. Ms Politkovskaya's murder had all the hallmarks | | | | but her stories stood out from much of the |
| of a contract killing for which Moscow had become | | | | mainstream Russian media and she pursued them at |
| notorious. Anna had been known for her pioneering | | | | great personal risk, whether reporting from the war |
| reporting and in particular her commitment to the | | | | zone or receiving death threats in Moscow. She has |
| people of Chechnya for which she won international | | | | been described as the conscience of the country's |
| recognition for her passionate reporting on their | | | | journalism, one of the few remaining high-profile, |
| conflict in which she exposed human rights abuses. | | | | independent journalists in Russia, a brave and |
| Unflinching in her narration of contemporary Russia, | | | | dedicated human rights defender, by Amnesty |
| Anna's books include A Dirty War, Putin's Russia and | | | | International, her journalist union amongst others. |
| the book she completed shortly before her death, A | | | | Whenever the question arose whether there is |
| Russian Diary. She won fame for A Dirty War, a | | | | honest journalism in Russia, almost every time the |
| collection of articles mainly about the second Chechen | | | | first name that came to mind was Politkovskaya." Ms |
| conflict which began in 1999. In 2004, she jointly won | | | | Politkovskaya spoke out fearlessly against violence |
| the Olof Palme Prize for her human rights work. The | | | | and injustice, and campaigned tirelessly to see justice |
| citation commended her " for her courage | | | | done". |
| and strength when reporting in difficult and dangerous | | | | In October 2002, she was one of the few people to |
| circumstances." | | | | enter the Moscow theater, where Chechnyen |
| All around the world people have been marking her | | | | militants had seized hundreds of hostages, in a bid to |
| death with remembrances including vigils, tributes and | | | | negotiate. There she acted as a negotiator with the |
| events. International PEN, in association with Random | | | | rebels for the release of the hostages. |
| House, presented The Truth: A Dangerous Pursuit - | | | | In 2004, she tried to go to Beslan during the school |
| Remembering Anna Politkovskaya with Jon Snow, | | | | siege but fell ill with food poisoning on the flight there. |
| James Meek and Azar Nafisi on Wednesday 17th | | | | Some suspected a plot to incapacitate her. The same |
| October 2007, at the Southbank Centre, London. The | | | | year her book Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing |
| evening was one of several events in a series of | | | | Democracy depicted Russia as a country where |
| commemorations around the world, marking the first | | | | human rights are routinely trampled upon. |
| anniversary of Anna's as yet unsolved murder. | | | | Politkovskaya's last known article for Novaya Gazeta, |
| England's Channel 4 journalist Jon Snow, James Meek | | | | published on 28th September 2006, condemns |
| and Azar Nafisi discussed Anna Politkovskaya's legacy | | | | pro-Kremlin militias operating in Chechnya as part of |
| as an outspoken witness as well as explored the | | | | Moscow's so-called Chechenisation policy. In 2001, she |
| relationship between writers, readers and literature, | | | | fled to Vienna, Austria, after receiving e-mail threats |
| and asking whose freedoms are at stake in the | | | | claiming a Russian police officer she had accused of |
| struggle for truth and uncensored expression. | | | | committing atrocities against civilians wanted to take |
| "This Murderous Word Freedom" is an online | | | | his revenge on her. |
| exhibition of originals of 70 excellent works selected | | | | In an interview two years ago with the BBC, Ms |
| from about 400 entries dedicated to the memory of | | | | Politkovskaya said she believed it was her duty to |
| Anna Politkovskaya and others who have suffered | | | | continue reporting, despite receiving such death |
| whilst trying to exercise their freedom of the press. | | | | threats: |
| A live exhibition in Moscow from the original cartoons | | | | "I am absolutely sure that risk is [a] usual part of my |
| posted on the internet was being planned. "Novaya | | | | job; job of [a] Russian journalist, and I cannot stop |
| Gazeta" (the newspaper where Politkovskaya | | | | because it's my duty," she said. "I think the duty of |
| worked) invited the artists for the conventional | | | | doctors is to give health to their patients, the duty |
| exhibition in Moscow, for which high quality prints | | | | of the singer to sing. The duty of [the] journalist [is] |
| were made from all the files and put on display. | | | | to write what this journalist sees in the reality. It's |
| Anna Politkovskaya describes the ruins of the | | | | only one duty. |
| Chechnyen capital, Groznyy in 'Hell' one of her articles: | | | | |