Russia court orders new Politkovskaya murder probe

Demonstrators place a portrait of Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya during a demonstration commemorating killed opposition activists in central Moscow, February 1, 2009.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday sent the case of murdered Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya back to prosecutors for a new probe to find whoever ordered her shooting.

Politkovskaya, a 48-year-old mother of two who published scathing exposes of official corruption and rights abuses, was fatally shot as she returned to a central Moscow apartment block from a supermarket on October 7, 2006.

The journalist's killing sparked outrage in the European Union and the United States, which called on the Kremlin to ensure her killers were brought to justice.

After a four-month trial, a jury ruled in February that brothers Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov were not guilty of acting as accomplices in the murder. The jury also cleared former police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov of any role.

This case is now being merged with the case of a third Makhmudov brother, Rustam, and "other so far unidentified persons," the Supreme Court said. Prosecutors say Rustam Makhmudov, who is on the run, pulled the trigger.

Last month a Moscow military court turned down a petition by Politkovskaya's family to return the case to prosecutors so it could be merged with an investigation to find the mastermind of the murder.

No one has been charged with ordering the killing.

Both the prosecution and the lawyers for Politkovskaya's family were cautiously optimistic about the fresh investigation's chances of establishing the truth.

"We believe the Makhmudovs are complicit in the murder. But the problem is, the case arrived at the court without (naming) the actual killer," state prosecutor Vera Pashkovskaya told reporters.

"New circumstances were established during the investigation ... and we made our own conclusions and filed a petition (to hold a fresh investigation)."

Karina Moskalenko, a lawyer for Politkovskaya's family, stressed the "moderate satisfaction" of the journalist's relatives.

"Why should we be fully satisfied if three years have passed (since Politkovskaya's murder), and the case has practically not been properly investigated," Moskalenko told reporters. "We were denied access to the investigation."

"Now let's see to what extent they (prosecutors) are ready to cooperate," she added.

The Kremlin has denied speculation of any involvement in Politkovskaya's murder and prosecutors have said the killing was an attempt to discredit Russia.

Vladimir Putin, president at the time of the killing and now prime minister, has said Russia is committed to solving the crime. But he has also belittled her importance, saying her influence on Russian public life was marginal.

Politkovskaya was shot dead two days before her newspaper was due to publish her latest report on torture in Chechnya.

(Reporting by Aydar Buribayev; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Matthew Jones)