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About 10 reporters
sit on one of two wooden benches in the back of Room No. 4 at the
Today's hearing
concerns Pavel Ryaguzov, aka "the fourth defendant," aka the former
Federal Security Service lieutenant colonel who is on trial--but not the
trial. He sits in the same courtroom cell alongside the three defendants in
Politkovskaya's murder--even though he is not charged in the killing. Although his
case concerns unrelated charges of extortion and abuse of office, it has been merged
with the Politkovskaya trial because of his alleged association with one of the
murder defendants: Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, a former police officer with the
Moscow Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. ...Yes, it is confusing.
Somehow the
presence of Ryaguzov--and his FSB rank--is the reason this trial is being heard in
a military rather than civilian court. It is Ryaguzov's alleged involvement
that causes parts of the trial to be closed to the press--as was the case when
he appeared as a witness in the part of the proceedings that involved the Politkovskaya
murder. It's unclear to journalists (who were barred from watching the
testimony) what questions Ryaguzov faced and what testimony he gave. Apart from
his vaguely defined association with Khadzhikurbanov, not much is known about Ryaguzov's
role in the murder. Prosecutors have provided little information on his
suspected actions or how they relate to the Politkovskaya case.
The court spent
today examining evidence in a six-year-old lawsuit filed by travel firm manager
Eduard Ponikarov, who accused Ryaguzov and Khadzhikurbanov of extorting money
from him. Ponikarov deserves his case to be heard, but merging it with a
high-profile murder trial should be justified by a clear link--a link the
prosecution has not yet offered.
In August 2007
Ryaguzov was detained and accused of conducting surveillance on Politkovskaya,
but he was cleared of the accusation in the following months. The prosecution
did not explain the basis for the allegation or the reason it was lifted.
Today, prosecutor
Vera Pashkovskaya announced in court that she has completed her presentation of
evidence against all of the defendants. Next week, the court will start hearing
the defense case. Pashkovskaya's announcement was met with astonishment by the
press corps, which expected a prosecution case that began in late November to last much
longer.
Three men are
on trial for direct involvement in Politkovskaya's assassination: Khadzhikurbanov
and brothers Ibragim and Dzhabrail Makhmudov. The prosecution has named
Khadzhikurbanov the organizer of the crime and the two Makhmudov brothers as his
accomplices. Neither the alleged triggerman, a third Makhmudov brother named
Rustam, nor the masterminds of Politkovskaya's assassination are in custody.
Rustam Makhmudov is wanted on an international warrant; the mastermind has not
been named.
In the meantime,
this strangely combined case goes forward in a military court.
(Reporting from
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