Russian Reporter's Killer Identified

To mark the first anniversary of the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, her newspaper, the independent Novaya Gazeta, is issuing a special edition on Monday. According to its editor, the identity of Politkovskaya's murderer is now known, although he has not been arrested. The identity of the person who organized the crime, however, remains unknown."The organizer is free. This crime cannot be considered solved," said Dmitry A. Muratov, the paper's editor in chief.

In one of the main articles of the special issue, Petros V. Garibyan, the prosecutor leading the investigation is interviewed at length."We have not charged the killer yet, but we know who he is," Garibyan is quoted as saying.Another key article, "Anna and the Clown," describes the torture of Eduard Ponikarov by a group of men that included Pavel Ryaguzov, then a major in the FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service.Ryaguzov wanted Ponikarov to work as an FSB informant, under the code-name Clown. Ponikarov has confirmed the story to Western media.Late last August, Ryaguzov was arrested. Russian prosecutors accused him of assisting Politkovskaya's killers by giving them her home address.However, Muratov and Yuri Y. Chaika, Russia's prosecutor general, disagree on a very sensitive issue. Read full story

Plot to Kill Russian Exile Thwarted

"I was advised by the police to leave the country if I could. I went overseas for a week and then the police informed me that I could return." He was asked by the authorities not to reveal the details of the plot.Berezovsky was told to leave the country between June 27 and July 4. Berezovsky stated on television that the warning by the London police had confirmed a similar one issued three months earlier by a Russian source."Someone who I know would come to London and ask to meet me, and he would kill me openly … and he would explain later that it was just business reasons," he said.

In July 2006, the Russian Duma (parliament), which is under President Vladimir Putin's control, passed a law authorizing the Russian president to use the secret services as "death squads" in order to eliminate "extremists," even on the foreign territory (Federal Law of 27 July 2006 N 153-F3).On the same day, the Duma amended another law that expands the definition of "extremism" in a way that includes anyone "libelously" critical of the Kremlin (Federal Law of 27 July 2006 N 148-F3)."A stage is set for any critic of Putin's regime here, especially those campaigning against Russian genocide in Chechnya, to have an appointment with a poison-tipped umbrella. According to the statement by the RF [Russian Federation] defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, the black list of potential targets is already composed," wrote Vladimir Bukovsky and Oleg Gordievsky in a letter to the London Times on July 11. Read full story

Litvinenko Likely Poisoned on Kremlin Order

The eight-page document contained damaging personal details on the high-ranking official. Reportedly, it cost him several million dollars, as the British company canceled the deal. It is now suspected that as soon as he got hold of the dossier, Lugovoy tipped off the Kremlin about it. The dossier not only contains damaging information but it also demonstrates that Litvineko could get access to classified information related to events that occurred after his departure from the FSB.On Nov. 1, Litvinenko met with Lugovoy and an associate, Dmitry Kovtun, at the Millennium Hotel in London. The evidence strongly suggests that Litvinenko was poisoned during that meeting. Read full story

Russia Strongly Denies Poisoning Ex-Spy

In a statement dictated just days before his death and read by his friend Alex Goldfarb on Friday, Litvinenko pointed the finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilized value. You may succeed in silencing one man. But a howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done.""It was obviously sanctioned [by the Kremlin]," said Oleg Gordievsky, the most senior KGB officer to defect to Britain. "He was such an obvious enemy. Only the KGB is able to do this." Read full story

Outspoken Putin Critic Poisoned

"He lost all his hair. He hasn't eaten for eighteen days. He looks terrible. He looks like a ghost actually. A month ago he was a fit handsome young man," said Alex Goldfarb, a long time friend, after visiting him at the hospital.But Litvinenko also suffers severe damage to his bone marrow and his immune system is totally shut down, suggesting the presence of a second, still unknown agent. Scotland Yard said that no arrests had been made but confirmed that the suspicious poisoning is being investigated. Litvinenko is under armed protection. His family has been moved to a secret location."I think this is the work of the Russian Secret Service," said Mr. Goldfarb. Read full story