Killer can put an end to the murder of the Politkovskaya

Photo: Maxim Konyaev/newspaper

A loud trial is postponed for an indefinite period

The case of the murder of the Novaya Gazeta observer, Anna Politkovskaya, will most likely be returned to the Prosecutor General for an additional investigation, which may drag on for a long time. For example, until the arrest of killer and customers reprisals against the journalist.

This became clear during yesterday's meeting of the Moscow District Military Court, where the repeated process began over the residents of Chechnya Jabrail and Ibrahim Makhmudov, as well as a former employee of the capital's UBBU, Sergey Khazhdihkurbanov.

All of them were justified by the jury on February 19 this year. However, subsequently the Supreme Court returned the case for a new consideration. Together with the brothers Makhmudov and Khadzhikurbanov, the fourth defendant appeared before the court - FSB lieutenant colonel Pavel Ryaguzov. It is because of him that the case is in a military court. The episode imputed by the officer is not connected with the murder. According to investigators, in July 2002, Ryaguzov and Khadzhikurbanov abducted businessman Eduard Porovarov, demanding $ 10 thousand for his exemption.

The victims insisted on the return of the case to the Prosecutor General - the son and daughter of Anna Politkovskaya Ilya and Vera. At the beginning of the meeting, they supported the claim claimed by them during the first process to recover non -pecuniary damage in the amount of 10 million rubles from the defendants. Then, on behalf of the victims, lawyer Anna Stavitskaya spoke. She indicated that the indictment was compiled with numerous violations.

So, the document repeatedly mentioned the name of the alleged killer, to whom the investigation considers the third brother of the Mahmudov Rustam, currently wanted. Meanwhile, he is not the defendant. In this regard, according to Stavitskaya, the indictment should be brought into line with the law, deleting the name of the alleged killer.

If this is not possible, then the lawyer proposed another way out: to unite in court the case with the case of Rustam Makhmudov and not found customers of the murder (it was allocated by the Prosecutor General in a separate production). Rustama Makhmudov, according to Stavitskaya, in this case should be judged in absentia.

After that, Sergey Khadzhikurbanov rose. He is the only one who was taken to the court in Avtosak: a month and a half after the acquittal of the announcement, the ex-militia was again arrested, but in a different case related to extortion of $ 350 thousand at the main witness in the Politkovskaya case-Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov. “The investigation of this case has already been completed,” Galina Tarlykova, defender Khadzhikurbanova, informed the court. She also asked to return the case to the prosecutor's office to unite him with the second case of her client.

However, the state prosecutor Amalia Straeva (she gained fame thanks to participation in the process of Sergei Mavrodi) did not support this request. Unlike the petition of the victims. She stated that she considers it possible to unite the cases of four defendants with the case of Rustam Makhmudov and unidentified customers for the purpose of "completeness of the investigation."

Leaving the court, the defenders of the defendants stated that the return of the case for the investigation is most likely resolved. "The prosecutors did not want to go in the second circle and again consider worthless materials," said Jabrail Makhmudova, Murad Musaev.

In turn, the defender Ibrahim Makhmudov Saydamymet Arsamerzaev shared his fears that, upon returning the case to the prosecutor's office, it would be buried.

“I know a lot of cases when things were returned for the investigation, and then stopped or suspended,” he remarked. Meanwhile, the victims did not share the fears of a lawyer. “I think that in the worst case the case will be cleaned and sent to court,” Ilya Politkovsky said. “It makes no sense to suspend it, since there are already accused.” It is expected that the court will announce its decision on August 7.

The article was published in the publication "Gazeta", dated August 6, 2009