Foreign activists from organizations including Humans Rights First, Amnesty International and the Society for the Promotion of Tolerance, who planned to organize events to mark the anniversary, were briefly detained and fined by the Russian authorities, on the basis of alleged violations of immigration status.

This was only one among many obstacles faced by the activists, including frozen bank accounts, getting their car seized, or being unable to stay in a hotel.

The Times of London published a letter with signatures from over 60 celebrities and dignitaries callings on Russia to bring the killers of Politkovskaya to justice.

In recent weeks, Russian investigators announced the arrest of several suspects, but press freedom and human rights organizations have expressed their skepticism concerning the validity of these arrests and authorities’ willingness in the investigation.

In the most recent development, investigator Petros Garibyan said the police had identified but not yet charged the murderer. "We have not yet charged the killer, but we know who he is."

Read the letter sent from the World Association of Newspapers to Putin here.

Source: WAN - AFP