Support The Moscow Times!

City Hall Makes U-Turn on Politkovskaya Picket

Muscovites pay tribute to Anna Politkovskaya outside her apartment building in 2006. Wikimedia Commons

Hours after refusing to grant permission for a picket in memory of murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya, city authorities reversed their decision and caved in to activists' demands.

"They unexpectedly called back and suggested we hold our protest on New Pushkin Square. They promised to grant permission," Alexander Cherkasov, head of human rights organization Memorial, told Interfax.

Officials from Moscow's Central Administrative District earlier told Cherkasov that the whole of the city center would be busy Sunday, when organizers plan to hold the picket to coincide with the sixth anniversary of Politkovskaya's death.

Cherkasov said authorities originally proposed moving the picket to a monument to Alexander Suvorov, an 18th-century Russian general, or a location on Yauzsky Bulvar, but that his organization rejected both options as unsuitable.

Novaya Gazeta journalist Politkovskaya was murdered Oct. 7, 2006, in the apartment building of her Moscow home. She was known for critical coverage exposing corrupt officialdom and atrocities committed by Chechnya's Moscow-backed authorities.

Her murder case has not been solved.

Related articles:

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more