SHEFFIELD AMNESTY GROUP TO PLANT TREE FOR MURDERED RUSSIAN JOURNALIST ON ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH

Tree planting in Botanical Gardens for Anna Politkovskaya on 7 October
Sheffield Amnesty International Group has been campaigning for human rights for over forty years. During that period our group has worked on cases from all over the world.

Russia is one of the countries that has particularly been the focus of our group activities in recent years. Two years ago Sheffield was visited by two courageous Russian journalists, Stanislav Dmitrievskii and Oksana Chelysheva, who won the Amnesty International "Human Rights Journalists at Risk Award" in 2006. They continue to be persecuted for daring to stand up for freedom of expression and to highlight human rights abuses in their country.

Anna Politkovskaya was another brave Russian journalist, writer and human rights defender. She was shot dead on October 7, 2006, outside her Moscow apartment. Her murder fell into a pattern of violent attacks on Russian journalists and other media workers. However, Anna Politkovskaya's murder also highlights the brutal stifling of freedom of expression around the world.

Anna Politkovskaya had reported about the human rights situation in Chechnya since 1999 for the newspaper Novaya Gazeta (New Newspaper). Her fearless and dedicated coverage of the conflict had been acknowledged through numerous awards. She had also written extensively about abuses in other parts of Russia such as violence in the army, corruption in state structures, and police brutality.

In June 2008 the office of the General Prosecutor in Russia announced they had completed the investigation into the killing of Anna Politkovskaya and had charged three men, who are currently in detention with involvement in the murder. A fourth man has been charged with abuse of office in connection with the murder. However, it is reported that the person, who shot her, allegedly a Chechen, was still on the run and is allegedly hiding in a Western European country.

Amnesty International remains concerned that there is a lack of political will to bring all those who were involved in this heinous crime to justice and continues to call for a full investigation and for all necessary steps being taken to identify those who ordered the killing and bring them to justice.

On 7th October Sheffield City Council shall be commemorating the second anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya's murder by planting a white birch tree in Sheffield's Botanical Gardens as a memorial to her and to her outstanding work. A number of Sheffield City councillors will be present.

You are very welcome to come along to this special event at Birch Hill, near the pavilions in The Botanical Gardens at 4.00pm on 7th October 2008. Bus no 30 passes along Clarkhouse Road (most convenient) or take 80, 81.82,83,85,86,88 along Ecclesall Road (most frequent) and walk up through the Botanical Gradens.

Remember: Anna Politkovskaya must never be forgotten!