One of the five men found guilty of the 2006 murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been pardoned following his service in the Ukrainian military.
Ex-Moscow police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov received a 20-year prison sentence in 2014. However pardon was bestowed upon him upon completion of a six-month military contract, according to his lawyer Alexei Mikhalchik.
A “monstrous injustice” was the term used to describe this development by Ms Politkovskaya’s employer and relatives.
The investigative journalist and outspoken critic of Russia’s intervention in Chechnya, Ms Politkovskaya, was fatally shot in the lift of her apartment building.
Her tireless coverage of Russian atrocities in Chechnya for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper brought her widespread acclaim.
But many in power were enraged by her writings, which were blisteringly critical of Chechen leadership and President Vladimir Putin, who was then serving his second term.
Neither the newspaper nor Ms Politkovskaya’s children, Ilya and Vera, had been notified of the pardon, they claimed in a joint statement. They also noted that no one else was being pursued for the murder. Whoever gave the order to kill has remained a mystery.
“For us, this ‘pardon’ is not evidence of the redemption and remorse of the murderer,” the statement said.
“It’s a monstrous fact of injustice and lawlessness, desecration of the memory of a person killed for her convictions and doing her professional duty.”
Khadzhikurbanov was convicted of aiding in the murder’s execution through his logistical support.
“As a special forces fighter, [Khadzhikurbanov] was invited to sign a contract to participate in the special military operation,” his lawyer told AFP.
“When the contract expired, he was pardoned by presidential decree.”
It appears that the Russian military ministry has begun recruiting inmates to fight in Ukraine. In 2014, Rustam Makhmudov was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A life sentence was handed down to his uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev, who was convicted of complicity in the murder of Ms. Politkovskaya. Dzhabrail and Ibragim, the two brothers of Makhmudov, were sentenced to 14 and 12 years in a penal colony, respectively.
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