Russian prosecutors charge four Chechen suspects in journo's murder

Moscow, Aug 28 (UNI) Russian Prosecutor General's Office today charged four Chechnya-born suspects involved in the murder of famous investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, last year.

Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika had informed President Vladimir Putin yesterday during a meeting with him that ten suspects in the murder of Polikovskaya had been arrested.

"I can say for certain that charges have been brought against four people, including my client," the defence lawyer for one of the detained Murad Musayev told RIA Novosti news agency Today.

Musayev said that charges on complicity to murder were filed against Chechen-born Dzhabrail Makhmudov, Ibragim Makhmudov, Tamerlan Makhmudov and Magomed Dimelkhanov.

"I know nothing about the other six, but probably they have been charged as well, because a person cannot be held in a pretrial detention for more than 10 days without being charged," he said.

Politkovskaya, known for her criticism of Kremlin policy in Chechnya, was gunned downed in an apparent contract killing in an elevator of her apartment block on October 7, 2006 in Moscow.

Chaika told reporters yesterday that a Chechen-born leader of a Moscow organised crime group, known to the journalist, had plotted the murder and that former and serving security and police officers had also been arrested during the investigation.

The one who ordered the crime, which was given so much publicity, is staying abroad, he said.

Meanwhile, Politkovskaya's son Ilya Politkovsky said today he did not doubt prosecutors' investigation findings, but that preliminary results should not have been made public as the premature announcement of the names of suspected people could compromise the investigation.

"Specific names were mentioned today. In my opinion, this is divulging investigation secrets, and it could affect the further course of the investigation," RIA quoted him as saying.

UNI