Differently from the first Chechen War, the second war with all its cruelties, horrific measures and immense tragedy of the people also brought information blockade.
KGB followers took into account their mistakes made during the first war when the whole world became a witness to air bombing and artillery bombardment of non-combatant Chechen capital Grozny – the Russian state’s violence against the republic and the nation at the end of twentieth century. The second time everything was premeditated.
Anna Politkovskaya was unique: she gave the world an opportunity to see the credible picture of the events in the Chechen Republic since 1999. And the scene was tragic. Anna devoted the last 7-8 years of her life to telling us the truth about the “struggle against terrorism” and helped hundred and thousands of victims of war.
Her contribution, as an infinite heroic act of a woman, who sacrificed her life for the people’s sake, will leave a large footprint in the history of, foremost, the Chechen people. Her publications are a chronicle of the most tragic chapters in the history of the Chechen people and the unprejudiced evidence of the outrage against humanity. Hopefully her work will contribute to the charges, which will hopefully be brought to the international tribunal on the Chechen Republic.
Her murder serves as a proof that the Russian Federation does not permit critics and opponents and will take any measures against them. If the Russian powers have nothing to do with this and other crimes related with numerous journalist and human rights defenders, they must investigate them thoroughly and bring to justice the real perpetrators. And as long as the Russian powers fail to do that, there is room for suspecting them.
