What Would Anna Politkovskaya Tell Us Today?

It is said that there is no statute of limitations on the crime of murder. Nor should there be on investigations, either. Politkovskaya was assassinated on this day 10 years ago. She was shot four times, the fatal shot was fired in her head on this date in a lift in her Moscow apartment building.
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It is said that there is no statute of limitations on the crime of murder. Nor should there be on investigations, either.

Politkovskaya was assassinated on this day 10 years ago. She was shot four times, the fatal shot was fired in her head on this date in a lift in her Moscow apartment building.

The echo of these shots is still ringing in our memory with the ultimate question: When will the justice finally see the light and bring some but important comfort to her loved ones and all journalists around the world? Men have been tried and convicted and sentenced to prison for her death. But who was behind it remains a mystery and one that needs to be solved.

But there are many other questions still unanswered

How did it come to this: that this elegant, fearless woman, who had always stood up for the voiceless, powerless, abused, tortured and weak, would be killed in cold blood and why? And why are we still seeking the truth, just like she did more than a decade ago? Why, after 10 years, is it Politkovskaya's murder that galvanizes us and makes us long for justice and closure? Politkovskaya often received death threats and was poisoned as a result of her work; she was threatened with rape and experienced a mock execution after being arrested by the military in Chechnya.Ten years on, Politkovskaya's resume needs no trumpeting; her reputation needs no brandishing; even her memory needs no face lift. As you can see from the outpouring of support to find the masterminds - a personal, visceral and engaged support - in this paper and in media around the world, the legend of Anna Politkovskaya is growing. Her life is a rallying call for all journalists seeking to humanize the inhuman - and - clarify the obscure.

She could write.

"What matters is the information, not what you think about it," she said in "Is Journalism Worth Dying For? Final Dispatches."

And she could report, from places that few of us would dare travel for fear of getting killed, let alone then go ahead and boldly ask hard questions of those there - questions that could get you killed, too.

She traveled to Chechnya countless times to get the stories of innocents caught in a barbarous struggle between warring forces each more brutal than the other. It may very well be that Politkovskaya captured the spirit of Russia. Even though she had opportunities to take a break overseas from the tension in Russia, she chose to stay and write. She was indignant about the wrongdoing that she deeply felt was unworthy of the Russia she loved so much, but she showed compassion for young Russian soldiers as well as for the ordinary people suffering in Chechnya

Since her death, at least 10 more members of the media have lost their lives practicing their craft only in the Russian Federation. Around the world the death rate of journalists is horrifying. According to CPJ, 1210 journalists have been killed since 1992.

Not everyone has a story as compelling as Politkovskaya. But every journalist does have a story to tell and one to write and each journalist needs to be treated with dignity and respect. Most importantly, all journalists have an inherent right to practice their craft in safety - free from the fate of Politkovskaya and the others.

That's why we should give our full support and backing to local, regional, national and international efforts to create an environment of safety - which includes, implicitly, an understanding that those who do harm to journalists will be found, tried and punished for their actions. Zero tolerance to impunity. But is it enough what we do, can we do more? Those behind and therefore responsible for Politkovskaya's death are still running free and the reasons for that have not been adequately explained. Until this case is closed, and it won't be until the ultimate killers are behind bars, international organizations around the world, including my Office, will continue reminding the authorities of their duty, in memory of Politkovskaya and the others who gave their lives in pursuit of a story.

What would Politkovskaya tell us today? Probably this quote could sum it up...

"Do you still think the world is vast? That if there is a conflagration in one place it does not have a bearing on another, and that you can sit it out in peace on your veranda admiring your absurd petunias?"

Mijatović is the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, based in Vienna.

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