Russian investigators have said they have identified - but not caught - the killer of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, whose murder in October 2006 became a symbol of Russian repression against journalists critical of the government.

"The person who directly carried out the crime, the killing of Politkovskaya, has been identified. All measures are being taken to find and detain the person in question," said Vyacheslav Smirnov, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, according to Interfax news agency.

However, in October 2007, the investigator of the case had already mentioned that the presumed killer had been identified.

This news comes in the wake of two TV journalists being murdered in Russia, supposedly in relation to the work they were doing.

Russia and the Kremlin have regularly been criticized for muzzling the free press, as was the case during the last parliamentary elections.

Source: AFP Mail