The Moscow City Court found the former head of the 4th department of the Operational Search Directorate of the Moscow City Internal Affairs Directorate, Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, guilty of the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya and sentenced him to 11 years in a maximum security colony.

According to investigators, in 2006 Pavlyuchenkov organized surveillance of Politkovskaya on the order of the Chechen crime boss Lom-Ali Gaitukaev, receiving $150,000 for it. When Gaitukaev went to prison, the leadership of the operation passed to ex-employee of the Moscow RUBOP Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, who, on the contrary, shortly before this he was released from prison. At the beginning of October 2006, Pavlyuchenkov “surrendered his post” to the three Makhmudov brothers - Ibragim, Dzhabrail and Rustam. The latter shot the journalist on October 7 in the entrance of her house. Pavlyuchenkov actively cooperated with the investigation and testified against his accomplices. However, Khadzhikurbanov denies any involvement in the crime.

Pavlyuchenkov's sentence was announced on Friday, December 14. Before the hearing began, the defendant became ill and had to call an ambulance. Lawyer Karen Nersesyan asked to postpone the announcement because his client is not able to give his last word. However, the doctors came to the conclusion that Pavlyuchenkov could participate in the meeting. The medical diagnosis was not made public, although it was previously reported that in the pre-trial detention center the accused was struck down by epilepsy, which is why he was even released under house arrest.

During the debate, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the former policeman to 12 years in a maximum security colony and one year of restriction of freedom, and the lawyer insisted on a suspended sentence. Nersesyan recalled that his client had many awards for his service, he helped the investigation, and in judicial practice, suspended sentences are given for much more serious crimes. The lawyer noted to the prosecutor that if today a person who made a deal with justice is given two-thirds of the maximum punishment for the crime charged, then tomorrow no one will want to cooperate with investigators anymore. Politkovsky family lawyer Anna Stavitskaya refused to speak in the debate, saying that she did not want to repeat her speech, which had already been made earlier. She only noted that the presence of state awards imposes additional responsibility on a person.

Pavlyuchenkov himself, in his last word, stated that he regretted those acts “that happened through his fault.” “I repent that I was dragged into them,” said the former policeman. He believes that members of the group that organized the murder of Politkovskaya wanted to deal with him as well. “I was lucky to be alive,” said Pavlyuchenkov.

“I want my example to be a lesson for people who go to work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so that they do not find themselves in stupid and terrible situations - the ones that I found myself in. You can talk a lot, but this will not make it any easier for either Politkovskaya’s family or my family,” the defendant concluded.

The Moscow City Court came to the conclusion that Pavlyuchenkov’s guilt has been fully proven: it is confirmed both by his testimony and by the totality of evidence. In general, the entire criminal group acted unitedly, each participant was assigned a specific role. “Pavlyuchenkov acted deliberately, for hire. He involved his subordinates in the surveillance, who were not aware of the criminal intent. He paid $100-150 a day for surveillance, while his employee did the work in a company car,” the verdict says.

Pavlyuchenkov did not suffer from mental disorders, was not in a state of passion and was aware of the danger of his actions. His correction is only possible “in conditions of isolation from society,” the court concluded and sentenced the ex-policeman to 11 years in a maximum security colony. They did not impose a year of restriction of freedom on Pavlyuchenkov. Politkovskaya’s children filed a civil claim against him for compensation for moral damage in the amount of 10 million rubles. The court decided that the former police officer must pay 3 million rubles.

Pavlyuchenkov received 11 years in prison for the murder of Politkovskaya