Journo's murder shocks Russia

2006-10-09 14:56

Stephen Boykewich

Moscow - The face of murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya stared out from the front page of every major Russian newspaper on Monday as her colleagues hailed her fearless reporting and vowed to search for her killer.

The apparent assassination on Saturday of Politkovskaya, Russia's top investigative journalist and a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was also cast as further evidence of the grim state of media freedom in today's Russia.

Liberal daily Novaya Gazeta, where Politkovskaya had been finishing a report alleging torture of Chechen civilians by Moscow-backed militias, vowed in a front-page editorial: "As long as there is a Novaya Gazeta, her killers will not sleep soundly."

A shareholder in the paper has announced a 25 million ruble ($930 000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the journalist's killer.

Politkovskaya, 48, was shot in her apartment building in an execution-style killing as she stepped out of an elevator on Saturday.

The killer shot her three times in the chest, then once in the head, and left the murder weapon at the scene, daily Kommersant cited police sources as saying.

Kommersant focused on possible motives for the murder, citing the work that made Politkovskaya a hero in the international journalistic community and a scourge for the Kremlin: investigation into the human costs of the brutal war in Chechnya.

Noting that Politkovskaya had been finishing a report on allegations of torture by the Kremlin-backed Chechen leadership, Kommersant said the killing "could change the structure of political power in Chechnya".

- AFP