A man convicted in the 2006 killing of a Russian journalist wins a pardon after serving in Ukraine

By EMMA BURROWS
Associated Press

A lawyer for a man convicted in the 2006 killing of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya received a presidential pardon after a stint fighting in Ukraine. Sergei Khadzhikurbanov was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2014 for his role in the death of Politkovskaya, who wrote stories critical of Kremlin policies during the early years of President Vladimir Putin’s term, the war in Chechnya and human rights abuses. Her death triggered outrage at home and in the West, emphasizing the dangers faced by independent journalists in Russia. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, private military contractors and the Defense Ministry have offered pardons to prisoners in exchange for fighting in the war.