Russia: a murder goes unpunished

How long will Russia go on with letting its journalists suffer fear of being killed as freedom of the press is still proven to be suffocated within its shores? It has just been reported that the three men who were charged of the murder of the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006, have been exonerated.

MS Politkovskaya who was shot dead, was determined to showcase human rights abuses while her journalistic work was a living campaign of her accusations on the Russian government’s corruption.

How can anyone believe that some people could walk away without having to face a proper sentence after someone’s blood was spilled without retribution? It is no wonder that Alex Rossi, a Sky News correspondent in Russia reported that “the verdict was an embarrassing defeat for prosecutors.”

Dzhabrail, Ibragim Makhmudov and Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, who were allegedly accused of participating in the “contract-style killing” two years ago, walked free of charge after today’s verdict.

It is believed that MS Politkovskaya’ severe reports on the Kremlin’s policy treatment in Chechnya, was a possible set off of her death. MS Politkovskaya was also known to be one of the most radical critics of Vladamir Putin, the former Russian President who was the leader of the Kremlin government at the time.

Although we heard so many times of several mysterious deaths of key critics of the President Putin in and outside Russia, there seems to be no justice nor has anyone been able to put their finger on dirty Russian murders. Especially when this is regarding individuals who died just when they were striving to release vital information. The sad thing is that their truth revealed could have exposed the face of the man operating from the dark.

One could suddenly look back and remember that in November 2006 Alexander Litvinenko, who was a former KGB officer died of poisoning in a London’s hospital. But could anyone tell us whether of not there is any difference between dying from being shot dead in front of one’s apartment or dying from a slow and painful death after being poisoned? The answer is pretty much clear. A murder is a murder, isn’t it?