Is Journalism Worth Dying For__ Final Dispatches - Anna Politkovskaya [196]
Nicola Duckworth, Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Program
Amnesty International is appalled by the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. We believe she was targeted because of her work as a journalist, reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya and other regions of the Russian Federation. Russia has lost a brave and dedicated human rights defender, who spoke out fearlessly against violence and injustice, and campaigned tirelessly to see justice done. Amnesty International calls on the Russian authorities to investigate her murder thoroughly and impartially, to make the findings of the investigation public, and for suspected perpetrators to be brought to justice in accordance with international law.
Zainap Gashayeva
Anna was very close and dear to me. We often met in the course of the Chechen War and understood each other well. We were together when she was detained by Russian soldiers in the village of Khotuni. She has left a profound impression in the memory and hearts of many people with whom she came into contact during all these years. Forgive us, Anna, it hurts so much and it is so difficult to believe you are no longer there, but no one can forbid us to continue to love you.
Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe
Anna Politkovskaya was one of the most important human rights defenders in Russia today. Her dedicated work exposed grave human rights violations in the North Caucasus region, thereby allowing the world to understand that hidden corner of the globe. Having known her well and respected her enormously, the news of her death has made me very sad and angry. Her death is a great loss for Russia, and a great loss for the cause of human rights … While not everyone agreed with her views, no one questioned her professionalism, courage, and personal dedication to revealing the truth about controversial political issues. Ms Politkovskaya’s murder signals a major crisis of free expression and journalistic safety in Russia. The Russian authorities have already failed in investigating previous murder attempts and death threats. They have no excuse now not to investigate the circumstances of her death thoroughly, and to punish those who committed this deplorable crime.
Ramzan Kadyrov, Prime Minister of Chechnya
I was not bothered in the slightest by what Politkovskaya wrote. It did not influence my work or my actions but, on the contrary, helped me, and I had no cause to want to persecute her. She was a woman, and I have never lowered myself to trying to settle scores with women. If even a gas canister explodes somewhere, they look for Chechen involvement, for “Chechen fingerprints.” We are used to that, but I believe we should get over this practice of making baseless accusations.
Garry Kasparov
One of the few whose free voice was to be heard in the Russian press, Anna was a fearless journalist, well known for her reporting of the Government’s atrocities in Chechnya. Those who knew her knew her responsiveness. She deeply felt the sufferings of others and carried that attitude over into her work. She collected documents about the crimes of the Russian security forces in the North Caucasus, about the brutalities perpetrated by Ramzan Kadyrov and other Kremlin placemen in the region. She indefatigably investigated what the Government was concealing about the terrorist acts in Beslan and Nord-Ost, where hundreds of civilians died. She took on the most sensitive stories, the most awkward topics. By her example she inspired others, because it was impossible to intimidate her. She never wrote a single line in which she did not believe implicitly. And on Saturday, the 54th birthday of President Vladimir Putin, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered. The killers made no attempt to conceal the nature of the crime, made no attempt to