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Criminal case against Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov charged with complicity in Anna Politkovskaya’s murder severed into separate lawsuit

Investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continue investigating a criminal case initiated over the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

As it was earlier reported, investigators clearly established the role of former official of Moscow Main Department for Internal Affairs Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov and have brought final charges against him of crimes under paragraphs “b, g, h” of part 2 of article 105, part 2 of article 222 of RF Criminal Code (murder of a person in connection with the official activity committed by a group of persons and by hire, illegal handling of firearms).

According to investigators, in 2006, Lom-Ali Gaytukayev, having received an order to kill Politkovskaya from an unknown person, set up a criminal group of 6 people and involved Pavlyuchenkov. According to the tasks, Pavlyuchenkov in the period between July-September 2006 found the victim’s actual place of residence, routes she took and reported that information to other members of the organized criminal group, in addition, he obtained firearms and ammunition which later became a murder weapon. Gathering information on Politkovskaya Pavlyuchenkov made his subordinates who had professional skills in secret tracking to track Politkovskaya and didn’t tell them about his criminal intentions. Members of criminal group in 2006 during several days went to Politkovskaya’s house, where they planned the role of each one of them, practiced their actions, planned the day and time of murder and escape routes after the crime. On 7 October 2006, a perpetrator with a pistol he had got from Pavlyuchenkov entered the second section of number 8/12 on Lesnaya Street in Moscow. When about 4 p.m. Politkovskaya entered the elevator the perpetrator shot her 5 times, killing her on the spot.

Considering that investigators have finished collecting evidence of Pavlyuchenkov’s guilt, but investigation operations connected with consolidation of the evidence against other accused should be continued, investigators today have decided to severe Pavlyuchenkov’s case into a separate lawsuit. Considering that the accused sticks to the conditions of the pre-trial cooperation deal, at the end of the investigation investigators plan to send for the indictment to be approved and for the request to be issued on special trial and ruling.