A man convicted of murdering Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who wrote about abuses in Russia’s war in Chechnya at the start of Vladimir Putin’s presidency, has been pardoned in exchange for taking part in fighting in Ukraine, on Tuesday, the 14th of November, reported the BBC.
Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, a former Moscow police officer who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2014, has been granted a presidential pardon after completing a six-month military contract, his lawyer Alexei Mikhalchik said.
He noted that Khadzhikurbanov, who served as a special forces fighter, signed a contract to take part in the special military operation, and
after its completion he received a presidential pardon.
According to the BBC, the Russian Ministry of Defence is recruiting prisoners to take part in the war in Ukraine, possibly replacing the mercenary group Wagner, which initially used this practice.
Sergei Khadzhikurbanov was one of five people convicted in connection with the murder of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Politkovskaya, known for her critical reporting on Russia’s war in Chechnya, was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment building.
Khadzhikurbanov was found guilty of providing logistical support for the murder at his trial in 2014.
In the murder trial, Rustam Makhmudov was sentenced to life for carrying out the murder. His uncle, Gaitukayev, who was convicted of organising the murder, also received life sentence. Two of Makhmoudov’s brothers, Dzhabrail and Ibragim, were sentenced to 14 and 12 years in a penal colony, as per BBC.
The person who ordered the murder was never identified.
Read also: Journalist protesting Russia’s war gets over eight years in prison
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