Chechen Republic of Ichkeria: Police 'Obstructing Politkovskaya Murder Inquiry'
Below is an article published by the Guardian Unlimited newspaper on the inquiry on Anna Politkovskaya murder.
Alexander Prilepin, who is also wanted in connection with the torture and disappearance of a young Chechen man in
One line of inquiry being pursued by prosecutors is that an officer from the Khanty Mansiysk region of
Politkovskaya, a newspaper reporter and author who brought the Kremlin’s dirty war in
Suspicion has fallen on three groups in relation to Politkovskaya’s death: Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen prime minister whom she criticised for alleged human rights abuses; an opponent of Mr Kadyrov who wanted to discredit him; or a subject of one of her investigative articles who was incensed about being exposed.
Last week a team of prosecutors, detectives and federal security service agents investigating Politkovskaya’s death was in
However, a Chechen law enforcement source who was recently dispatched to
“Prilepin’s first wife and other sources told us he is living there and riding around in a jeep. But the prosecutors from
An arrest warrant for Mr Prilepin was announced earlier this year in connection with the torture and disappearance of Zelimkhan Murdalov, a 26-year-old Chechen who was arrested in
The young man was taken to a detention facility in the city’s Oktyabrsky district. According to witnesses an officer called Sergei Lapin, or Cadet, tried to slice off Murdalov’s ear, beat him and submitted him to electric shocks in an attempt to force him to become an informer. Murdalov disappeared the day after his detention. Mr Prilepin is suspected of helping to dump his body.
The incident went virtually unnoticed until nine months later when Politkovskaya publicised it in an article called “Disappearing People”.
“If it hadn’t been for Anna’s efforts, Lapin would never have been prosecuted,” said Murdalov’s father, Astemir, 55, in an interview at his home in
Lapin, who denied torture and said Murdalov received his injuries falling down some stairs, was convicted last year. Before the trial he sent emails to Politkovskaya demanding she retract the accusations made in her article, “otherwise the police officer hired by you as a guard will not be enough to help you”.
Murdalov’s relatives have been repeatedly threatened. Armed men in masks have broken into the house of Murdalov’s father and searched it on three occasions, once holding an automatic weapon to his head. His mother, Rukiyat, and sister, Zalina, moved to
Mr Prilepin was not arrested at the time of Lapin’s trial, despite damning evidence given against him by witnesses. Another nine officers from Khanty Mansiysk are now being sought for questioning about abuses at the Oktyabrsky detention centre.