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Funeral for shot Russian reporter Funeral for shot Russian reporter
(about 5 hours later)
The funeral of murdered Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya is due to take place in Moscow. Hundreds of mourners are attending the funeral in Moscow of the investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya who was killed on Saturday.
The 48-year-old - a critic of President Vladimir Putin and his policies in Chechnya - was found shot dead at her Moscow apartment building on Saturday. The 48-year-old - a critic of President Vladimir Putin - was found shot dead at her apartment building.
Mr Putin said the murder was "tragic" and promised "all the necessary efforts toward an objective investigation". One of her former editors described Ms Politkovskaya as a fearless person whose death was a blow to the freedom of the press in Russia.
Many prominent journalists and Moscow's leading liberal politicians are expected to attend the funeral. President Putin has pledged to hold a thorough investigation.
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.
This is a blow to freedom of the press in Russia Vitaly Yaroshevsky 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."
Mr Putin has described the murder as "tragic", and promised "all the necessary efforts toward an objective investigation".
According to the Tass news agency, Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov pledged to investigate the killing through parliamentary channels.
Russia guaranteed freedom of the press and freedom of speech, and "such atrocious criminal actions cannot ban this," he said.
Reward offeredReward offered
The service will begin with mourners walking past Ms Politkovskaya's coffin before she is buried at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow. Mourners, including friends, relatives and fellow journalists, walked past Ms Politkovskaya's coffin before the burial at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow.
On Monday, well-wishers laid flowers by photographs at a makeshift shrine in front of her apartment building and Russia's main newspapers ran pictures of her on their front pages. SUSPECTED CONTRACT KILLINGS October 2006 - campaigning Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya shot dead in MoscowSept 2006 - first deputy chairman of Russia's central bank Andrei Kozlov shot dead in MoscowOct 2005 - former bank head Alexander Slesarev gunned down near MoscowJuly 2004 - US editor of Forbes' Russian edition Paul Klebnikov shot dead in MoscowOct 2002 - Magadan governor Valentin Tsvetkov killed in MoscowNov 1998 - liberal MP Galina Starovoitova killed in St PetersburgMarch 1995 - leading journalist Vladislav Listyev shot dead in Moscow On Monday, well-wishers laid flowers by photographs at a makeshift shrine in front of her apartment building and Russia's main newspapers ran pictures of her on their front pages.
SUSPECTED CONTRACT KILLINGS October 2006 - campaigning Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya shot dead in MoscowSept 2006 - first deputy chairman of Russia's central bank Andrei Kozlov shot dead in MoscowOct 2005 - former bank head Alexander Slesarev gunned down near MoscowJuly 2004 - US editor of Forbes' Russian edition Paul Klebnikov shot dead in MoscowOct 2002 - Magadan governor Valentin Tsvetkov killed in MoscowNov 1998 - liberal MP Galina Starovoitova killed in St PetersburgMarch 1995 - leading journalist Vladislav Listyev shot dead in Moscow
Colleagues at her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a special issue promising that "her killers will not sleep soundly" and the paper has offered a $1m (£534,000) reward to solve the murder.Colleagues at her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a special issue promising that "her killers will not sleep soundly" and the paper has offered a $1m (£534,000) reward to solve the murder.
And Mr Putin, in his first response to the shooting, promised a thorough investigation during a telephone conversation with US President George W Bush.
Russia's top prosecutor is personally leading the official investigation, focusing on her investigative reporting as a possible motive for the crime.Russia's top prosecutor is personally leading the official investigation, focusing on her investigative reporting as a possible motive for the crime.
The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow said there will be international pressure to solve this case and others.
"The pressure is now going to be applied on the Russian government by the international community to put an end to the killing of so many journalists," he said, citing research showing that more 40 journalists have died since the early 1990s, many in apparent contract killings.
Ms Politkovskaya's body was found in a lift at her block of flats. Grainy CCTV footage shows a man in a baseball cap following her inside just before the shooting.Ms Politkovskaya's body was found in a lift at her block of flats. Grainy CCTV footage shows a man in a baseball cap following her inside just before the shooting.
The BBC's Mark Simpson in Moscow said there had been much speculation about who might have ordered this execution-style killing but there was little sign of any progress in the investigation so far.
"Police originally said that the gunmen had acted alone, but one newspaper has reported that he may have had an accomplice, a woman, who followed Ms Politkovskaya on her last trip home," he added.
Ms Politkovskaya had accused Russian security forces in Chechnya of abusing human rights but Chechnya's pro-Moscow leaders have condemned her murder.Ms Politkovskaya had accused Russian security forces in Chechnya of abusing human rights but Chechnya's pro-Moscow leaders have condemned her murder.
Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov said that although he did not share many of her views, he sent his condolences to her friends and family.
He has also rejected claims of Chechen involvement in the murder as "presumptions not based on serious evidence... and unworthy of the press and politicians".