‘Anya was waiting for a bullet in the back’: Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya exposed torture and war crimes in Chechnya. Twenty years after her murder, her close friend’s daughter remembers her.

On October 7, 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, a renowned Russian journalist for Novaya Gazeta, was tragically murdered in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building. Since her passing, friends and colleagues have vividly remembered her for her courage and dedication to exposing human rights abuses and war crimes in Chechnya. Her close friend and colleague, Natalya Estemirova, played a crucial role in shaping Politkovskaya's investigative work in the region.

The pair, sharing a deep bond forged through their shared experiences and relentless pursuit of justice, collaborated closely on various projects, including an interview with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov's subsequent threats against them demonstrated the danger they faced in pursuing the truth. Natalya's daughter, Lana Estemirova, has penned a moving tribute to her mother and Anna Politkovskaya in her book, "Please, Live," commemorating the 20th anniversary of the journalist's untimely death.

Anna had made her home in Moscow, a spacious apartment that became a refuge for human rights activists, lawyers, and journalists alike. She welcomed them into her home, sharing stories of her experiences covering the Russian-Chechen war since 1999. Politkovskaya's interviews with victims and their families helped bring attention to the dire conditions in Chechnya, urging politicians and common citizens to take action to alleviate the suffering of innocent people.