Russian journalist's killer 'hiding' in western Europe

A top Russian prosecutor today said the killer of journalist Anna Politkovskaya is hiding in Western Europe.

Prosecutors have accused Rustam Makhmudov of shooting Politkovskaya in her Moscow apartment building in October 2006.

Her colleagues believe her murder was linked to her work reporting on abuses by Russian troops in Chechnya.

Alexander Bastrykin is head of the prosecutors’ Investigative Committee.

His office said he announced today that Makhmudov has fled to a Western European country. Mr Bastrykin did not say which country.

Three other men were arrested on charges of involvement in Polikovskaya’s murder.

Two of them are Makhmudov’s brothers, and the third one is a former police officer.