Putin’s power continues to spark controversy around the world, and recent history only adds fuel to the controversies. A former Russian police officer, convicted of the murder of famous journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was recently pardoned by President Putin in exchange for his mobilization in Ukraine.
Sergei Khadjikurbanov was initially scheduled to serve a twenty-year prison sentence for his role in the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya in 2006. By joining Russian forces in Ukraine in 2022, he benefited from a presidential pardon. According to his lawyer, he joined the Russian forces at the request of the government and was later pardoned once his contract ended.
This decision by Putin sparked widespread indignation, both within the family of the murdered journalist and among human rights defenders. Anna Politkovskaya’s family, as well as the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, for which she worked, denounce a “monstrous arbitrary injustice” and believe that this presidential pardon in no way constitutes proof of atonement for the crimes committed.
This case highlights the cynicism of the Russian political system and raises questions about freedom of expression and the rights of journalists in Russia. Anna Politkovskaya was a globally recognized investigative journalist, specialized in denouncing abuses committed during the war in Chechnya, and critic of the Putin regime. His assassination remains one of the most high-profile crimes of the Putin era and the masterminds have never been fully identified.
This presidential pardon granted to Sergei Khadzhikurbanov also raises concerns about the use of Russian detainees in foreign conflicts. Thousands of Russian detainees have reportedly signed similar contracts with paramilitary formations, thereby serving the interests of the Russian government in conflict zones.
In conclusion, this affair once again marks Putin’s stranglehold on justice and criticism of his regime. The rehabilitation of a convict for a high-profile murder like that of Anna Politkovskaya raises serious questions about the rule of law in Russia and the protection of journalists and human rights defenders. This decision only adds weight to international criticism of the Russian government and its management of fundamental freedoms.