RIP Anna Politkovskaya

The award-winning journalist and author wrote many accounts of Russia’s dirty war in Chechnya. The manner of her professional execution is chilling, as is the message it sends out to critics of the Kremlin. Her work will be noted for exposing the insane brutality of Russian power against the Chechen people. It will be noted for its basic humanity and commitment to the principles of justice that all people deserve. She had few peers when it came to bravery and professionalism. She knew her life was under constant threat, but that did not prevent her from doing her job, or caring about victims of the Russian state. From Regnum:

“Since July 1999 Anna Politkovskaya repeatedly visited conflict areas and refugee camps in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. She wrote a book called “Journey to hell. The Chechen diary”. Apart from her professional activity she organized withdrawal of 89 residents of a retirement home in Grozny (Chechnya), who by her assistance were settled in Russia. However, in summer of 2000 the old people (22 persons) were brought back to Grozny in order to “show to the whole world that life in Grozny was coming back to normal.” People were left without water, medicines, food and clothes. In August 2000, under Politkovskaya’s initiative, Novaya Gazeta held a charity action called “Grozny. Retirement Home.” They collected about 5.5 ton of load and $5,000. In January 2000, for a series of publications from Chechnya Anna Politkovskaya was awarded Golden Pen of Russia prize.”