Arrests Made in Politkovskaya Case

Ms. Politkovskaya's murder is linked to Russian secret police and security forces, but troubling situation of her contract-style death remains

In October 2006, the world lost an excellent investigative reporter when Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down in her Moscow apartment building elevator. She wrote extensively about the human rights abuses going on in her country, and was constantly at odds with many factions of the Russian political elite. It is gratifying to hear that her murderers will be brought to justice, but it is important to note the troubling nature of the case itself.

The fact that journalists critical of President Vladimir Putin are so likely to lose their lives shows how far Russia still is from being a true democracy. When the Cold War ended, the West was told that the new face of Russia would be one of free speech; it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not the case.

It is not clear how the 10 people arrested in the murder of Ms. Politkovskaya came together. Government are saying that the leadership for this killing came from outside of Russia, in an attempt to destabilize the political situation in the Kremlin.

If this is indeed true, it is extremely puzzling as to how it is that former Russian secret police and security personnel were involved with the murder. There is something particularly unsavory about the fact that officials so close to the government had a hand in the killing of a woman whose words greatly upset Mr. Putin.

If Russia is to become a true democracy, free speech must become far more entrenched into the political landscape than it is currently. Perhaps ten years from now we will look back on this murder as the turning point for the Russian government to get its act together regarding free press in this country. In the West, we must encourage and support measures to make this hope a reality.