Russians remember slain scribe amid tight security

About 2,500 extra policemen, were deployed near Pushkin Square in the city centre, where friends of Politkovskaya, a year ago, had joined members of the Other Russia opposition movement to demand to bring her murderers to justice.

Politkovskaya, a reporter for liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was shot dead in a contract-style killing in the lift of her apartment house on October 7, 2006. Her murder provoked international condemnation, including allegations that Putin was failing to safeguard press freedom in Russia. One year later, despite repeated calls for justice, the Politkovskaya murder case remains unsolved.

Campaigners held mourning events in the Russian capital and cities around the world, to press the Government to speed up the investigation.

On the eve of Politkovskaya’s death anniversary, over 60 celebrities and dignitaries signed an open letter in British Times newspaper calling on Russia to bring her killers to justice. They included Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, American actress Susan Sarandon and British playwright Harold Pinter. “We call on the Russian Government to bring to justice, in full conformity with international standards, both those who killed Anna Politkovskaya and those who have ordered her murder,” the letter said.

Despite the promise by Putin to track down the murderers, the investigation was very slow and it took 10 months before any arrests were made, even though there was closed circuit TV footage of the man alleged to be her killer. Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office last month arrested 10 suspects, among them, members of the security forces. Two of the detained, have already been released and the top investigator on the case has been replaced.