Russian court orders arrest of 8 suspects in journo murder case

Moscow, Aug 27 (UNI) A Moscow district court today issued arrest warrants against eight suspects in the murder of famous investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

''The Basmanny Court issued arrest warrants for eight suspects in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya,'' RIA Novosti news agency quoted Moscow City Court spokesperson Anna Usacheva as saying on today. Usacheva said the names of the suspects had not been revealed in the interest of the investigation.

Politkovskaya, 48, known for her fierce criticism of the Kremlin, was shot dead allegedly by contract killers in the lift of her apartment house in Moscow, last October. Her murder triggered a wave of condemnation in the West voicing serious concerns about freedom of press in Russia.

Many world leaders and international human rights activists urged the Russian authorities to ensure that this and other high-profile murders of journalists were solved.

President Vladimir Putin had vowed that all necessary effort will be made for an objective investigation into the tragic death of Politkovskaya. Russia's Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, earlier during a meeting with President Putin, said police had made serious progress in the Politkovskaya murder investigation.

''We have made serious progress in the Politkovskaya murder investigation. Ten people have been arrested in connection with this case and literally, in the very near future, they will be charged with carrying out this grave crime,'' Chika said.

About 90 reporters have been murdered in the last ten years in Russia, which is considered as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work. It is second only to Iraq, where 138 media people have been killed over the same period.

UNI