charges in politkovskaya murder

the bbc online reports this morning:

"Russian prosecutors have charged nine people, including a security service official, over the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, reports say. Ms Politkovskaya was shot dead near her flat in Moscow in October 2006. She won fame by exposing atrocities committed against Chechen civilians by Russian-backed security forces. Last month, a former Chechen politician was charged with being an accomplice in the murder. Ten suspects were arrested in August, two of whom were then freed.

The nine suspects were formally charged by a Moscow city court on Wednesday, Russian news agencies said. Interfax also quoted a source close to the investigation as saying charges had been brought against Lt Col Pavel Ryaguzov from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) for abuse of office. Investigators believe that he could have passed on details of Ms Politkovskaya's address to another suspect, who in turn gave them to the killer, the source said. In August, chief prosecutor Yuri Chaika said 10 suspects - including serving and former security officers - had been arrested in the investigation. Their ringleader was a Chechen gang boss, he said. At least two suspects have since been released. Mr Chaika said there were indications that the murder plot had been masterminded abroad with a view to destabilising Russia.

Ms Politkovskaya was a strong critic of President Vladimir Putin - especially his military campaign in Chechnya. Her former colleagues at Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta accused Kremlin hardliners of interfering in the murder investigation after a lead prosecutor in the case was replaced in September."

we shall, of course, never know who really commissioned the murder. *sigh*