Five Men Convicted of Murdering Russian Journalist Anna Politkovskaya

A Moscow court on Tuesday found five men guilty of murdering award-winning investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

The renowned reporter and frequent Kremlin critic was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block in 2006. Fellow activists later described the murder as a contract-style hit, reports Reuters.

Politkovskaya’s murder helped highlight the risks faced by journalists who are willing to speak out against authorities in Russia. Following the verdict, her family and activists continued to call for further investigations into who might have ordered the hit.

“The murder will only be solved when the name of the person who ordered it is known,” Anna Stavitskaya, a lawyer for Politkovskaya’s family, was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

Russia ranks 148 out of 179 countries surveyed on Reporters Without Borders’ 2014 Press Freedom Index.

[Reuters]