Anna Politkovskaya RIP

[metadigital]

Ms Politkovskaya was one of the few Russian journalists to write about human rights abuses in Chechnya, and many Russians believe her murder was a contract killing.

 

Speaking at the funeral, Vitaly Yaroshevsky, deputy editor-in-chief of Ms Politkovskaya's newspaper Novaya Gazeta, said: "There are almost no more journalists like her left today.

 

"Anna was a fearless person; not reckless, but courageous. She's the third one to have died from our paper.

 

"This is a blow to freedom of the press in Russia."

 

link

[kirottu]

Russia simply sucks.

[Walsingham]

Russia simply sucks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Kirottu there, our Russian Affairs correspondent.

 

I was thinking about this today. I'm not sure I could do what she did. I mean you know damn well you're going to get whacked. And the odds are that all you'll get out of the apathetic public is a raised eyebrow.

[Musopticon?]

Yeah, I agree. This is a serious slap against the image Russia has tried to give of themselves.

 

Once a KGB, always a KGB.

[Xard]

Indeed. Although name is now different (what it was anyway...edit: I mean the modern KGP. N...something?)

Edited October 10, 2006 by Xard

[Checkpoint]

Wow, there wasn't already a thread on this? Considering it happened like two or three days ago... Anyway, yes, this hardly looks very good on the Russians. How is the government going to explain this knowing it was them she was criticizing?

[Xard]

Wow, there wasn't already a thread on this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I guess Nordic Countries media (and whole Europe's actuall) reacted faster to this. Or something. Or something.

[Judge Hades]

This is really a sad sad story.

[Calax]

Indeed. Although name is now different (what it was anyway...edit: I mean the modern KGP. N...something?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it's known as the FIS.

[Lare Kikkeli]

russia's been [floundering] for the last 400 years, since the first romanov. it was going in a better direction for like 5 minutes before Yeltsin, but alas it was not the time for a democratic Russia.

Edited October 11, 2006 by metadigital

[Diamond]

President Putin said the "horribly cruel" crime must not go unpunished.

I saw that coming a mile away. I mean, every time anything like this (or worse) happens, there is always a president or someone in the government saying "how horribly cruel it is" and how they are taking the investigation "under their personal control" and the murderers "will not go unpunished".

And the odds are that all you'll get out of the apathetic public is a raised eyebrow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Walsingham hits the jackpot. Of course it will be one of the topics in political talk shows for like a week, but it will soon be forgotten, just like the others.

I, for one, have already lost count how many notable journalists has got shot in the past few years.

Yeah, I agree. This is a serious slap against the image Russia has tried to give of themselves.

Once a KGB, always a KGB.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Muso, FSS (that most people like to think as of successor of KGB) as an organization is not directly involved in such events these days, though I will not be surprised if some higher ups from law enforcement are.

Indeed. Although name is now different (what it was anyway...edit: I mean the modern KGP. N...something?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it's known as the FIS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FSS, actually.

russia's been [floundering] for the last 400 years, since the first romanov. it was going in a better direction for like 5 minutes before Yeltsin, but alas it was not the time for a democratic Russia.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd correct it to "last 100". In fact, with the first Romanovs, things started to go relatively well (Peter I, for example), but they were kinda hit or miss.

How is the government going to explain this knowing it was them she was criticizing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you really think they are going to explain? The common practice is to start an investigation that leads nowhere (see the top of my post) and wait until everyone forgets and moves on.

[metadigital]

The sad truth is that there is nothing that anyone can do, save for another brave hero(ine) to take up the cudgel of ethical rectitude and try to keep the various governments honest.

 

It may be a difficult and parlous existence, and it might be a low-probability success, but it is the right thing for anyone to do.

 

If you can't do anything smart, do something right.

[Musopticon?]

With my KGB comment I meant Putin's history(he started his career in that facility) and how such an underhanded way to remove a treath to Motherland would come easily from him. FFS probably has nothing to do with it.