The organizer of Politkovskaya's murder was released in Russia: he is fighting against Ukraine

The organizer of Politkovskaya's murder was released / Collage 24 Channel

Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, the organizer of the murder of Russian opposition journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was released early from prison. He went to war against Ukraine.

Khadzhikurbanov was sentenced in 2014 to 20 years in prison. His prison term ended in 2034. As Russian media write, at the end of 2022 he left the colony and went to war in Ukraine, Channel 24 reports .

Khadzhikurbanov rose to the rank of battalion commander

It is reported that Khadzhikurbanov began serving as commander of the occupiers’ intelligence department. He soon rose to the rank of battalion commander.

After six months of service in the Russian army, Khadzhikurbanov extended his contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. As Russian media write, six months is the period that prisoners need to win in order to receive an official certificate of release.

It is unknown for how long he signed the contract and what position he currently holds. He is currently released from serving his sentence in a colony.

What is known about Khadzhikurbanov

• Sergei Khadzhikurbanov is a former operative of the regional department for combating organized crime in Russia. He dealt with ethnic criminal gangs.
• Khadzhikurbanov was detained in 2007 on charges of organizing the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, whom Vladimir Putin was afraid of.
• A journalist with Ukrainian roots was killed on October 7, 2007, Vladimir Putin’s birthday. She worked on Beslan, Nord-Ost, Chechnya and exposed corruption in Russia.
• In 2009, a jury found Khadzhikurbanov not guilty. Then he was again detained in the case of extortion from Sergei Pavlyuchenkov, another organizer of the murder of Politkovskaya, and again accused of involvement in organizing the murder of the journalist.
• In the dock along with Khadzhikurbanov were the Chechen authority Lom-Ali Gaitukaev, the three Makhmudov brothers and Sergei Pavlyuchenkov.
• Khadzhikurbanov refused to testify to the end and declared his innocence.