January 26, 2026
Moscow memorial plaque to slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya torn down for fifth time in a week
A memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist assassinated in 2006 who reported extensively on Russian atrocities in Chechnya, has been torn down five times in the past week. Here’s what we know.
TL;DR
- A memorial plaque for journalist Anna Politkovskaya was vandalized five times in a week.
- A neo-Nazi group claimed responsibility for the initial destruction of the plaque.
- A Moscow court fined Alexander Filippov 1,000 rubles ($13) for smashing the plaque, claiming it was accidental.
- Novaya Gazeta believes a group with neo-Nazi views was behind the vandalism.
- Temporary replacement plaques and flowers left at the site were also removed.