Russia lays charges over journalist's murder

Russia has charged a retired policeman with organising the 2006 murder of newspaper reporter Anna Politkovskaya amid an investigation that has been criticised in the West for taking too long.
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The Investigative Committee said on Monday it now believed that top former Moscow policeman Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov helped organise Politkovskaya's murder and helped track her movements for months.

The former head of the Moscow police surveillance department was arrested on August 23 and has since faced a series of different charges while continuing to deny all responsibility.

"Between July and September 2000, Pavlyuchenkov established the victim's place of residence, the route she takes [home], and reported this information to other members of the organised crime group," the committee said in a statement.

"Moreover, he obtained the weapon and ammunition that were later used in the killing," the statement added.