Anna Politkovskaya, a 48-year-old investigative journalist known for her outspoken reports on Chechnya, was gunned down in an apparent contract killing in Moscow October 7. Western governments, rights groups and members of the general public condemned her murder, voicing concerns over the freedom of press in Russia.
Rice, who is visiting Russia for talks on North Korea as part of her crisis trip following Pyongyang's reported nuclear test, spoke with editors of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, where Politkovskaya had worked, and with the slain journalist's 28-year-old son, Ilya.
The top U.S. diplomat said Politkovskaya was highly respected in the West as one of the most independent voices of Russia's media community, and pledged to discuss Russian authorities' progress in investigating the murder at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin later in the day.
