The sister of murdered Russian journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya has said she does not believe the Russian government played any role in her killing.
In an interview with Channel 4 News last night, Elena Kudimova said she was more interested in finding out who ordered the killing in 2006 than who pulled the trigger.
Asked by presenter Jon Snow whether she felt “the finger of suspicion extends right inside the Kremlin”, Kudimova replied: “No I don’t think so.”
She added: “Anna wrote about many people, especially in the Caucuses, who quite disliked her writing. I don’t mean necessarily Chechnya.”
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Politkovskaya was shot dead in the entrance to her flat on 7 October 2006 after returning home from buying groceries.
Three men suspected of being involved in her killing – including two brothers from Chechnya – were cleared of all charges yesterday.
Kudimov said of the ruling: “I felt very disappointed…There was quite enough evidence during the court hearings.”
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But she added: “Personally I’m not interested in who pulled the trigger. The most interesting question for the family is who ordered it.”
When asked if the she thought there would be another trial in future, she said: “That’s what we hope.
“Right now we’re two years back where we were in the beginning, because we don’t have anyone involved, we have no killer and we still don’t know who ordered to kill Anna.
“Even the people suspected of involvement have been released.”
Politkovskaya was an award-winning journalist who was renowned for exposing alleged human rights abuses, especially those by Russian forces in Chechnya.
Russian officials have claimed the murder was ordered by people outside Russia aiming to discredit the Kremlin.
Shortly after Politkovskaya was killed, then-Russian president Vladimir Putin – now prime minister – said: “Her death has been more damaging to Russia’s reputation than her investigative reporting.”
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