Chechen leader claims Putin legalized killing critics during G8 summit
Akhmed Zakayev, the head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's government in exile, recalled how, during the 2006 G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, legalized the killing of government critics. Zakayev shared these details in an interview with Radio NV on Aug. 6.
"In June or July, Putin presides over the G8 in St. Petersburg," Zakayev recounted. "At this time, they timed the signing of two laws to coincide with this event. The Russian Parliament adopted a law stating that any critic of Putin, Putin's government, or the Russian government is equated with extremists, terrorists, and is transferred to the category of enemies of the Russian state. This is one law. The second law allows the Russian special services to eliminate enemies of the Russian state wherever they are."
Zakayev noted that at the time, he, Alexander Litvinenko, and Vladimir Bukovsky held a press conference in the House of Lords in the UK, pointing out that when Putin "signed this document, they were visiting him and solving global world problems."
"In this situation, while hugging Bush, Blair, and other Western politicians, Putin signed this law and made them complicit in it," Zakayev said.
"Litvinenko addressed British Prime Minister Tony Blair by name and said that this law was signed to commit murders in your country, in the UK: 'You have to condemn this and make it clear to Russia and Putin that this is not allowed.' However, there was no reaction from Western politicians to our conference or our call."
The first murder under this law occurred in Russia — "they eliminated Anna Politkovskaya, who, along with us, was included in the list of extremists, terrorists, and enemies of the Russian state."
Zakayev added, "And literally a month after that, Russia, Putin, committed a terrorist attack in Britain, killing Oleksandr Litvinenko with a radioactive substance. A month after the painful consequences of taking this radioactive dose, Oleksandr Litvinenko died in the hospital. It was that period."
Notable Murders: Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander Litvinenko
Novaya Gazeta columnist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in the elevator of her building in Moscow on Oct. 7, 2006. Police found a Makarov pistol with a silencer and four shell casings next to her body. Initial information pointed to a contract killing, as four shots were fired, including a "control" shot to the head. In connection with Politkovskaya's murder, a "list of enemies of the Russian people" published online in 2006 was mentioned. The person who ordered the murder was never found.
Former Russian FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 on Nov. 1, 2006, and died in the hospital three weeks later. Litvinenko's defense team released evidence of Putin's personal involvement in the high-profile crimes.
Later, in the High Court of London, Judge Robert Owen stated that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin "probably approved" the assassination of the former agent. In turn, Russia claimed that the non-transparent trial in the Litvinenko murder case was being brought to the "desired" result.
During the public hearings held in early 2015, it became known that before his death, Litvinenko accused Vladimir Putin of his murder, as well as the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006. In September 2021, the European Court of Human Rights found Russia responsible for the murder of the former FSB officer and ordered it to pay Litvinenko's wife compensation of 100,000 euros. The Kremlin said that it would not comply with the court's decision.
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