We’re going to put aside sarcasm for a minute and try feigned disbelief. Earlier today, February 4, Moscow’s Military Tribunal was scheduled to proceed with hearings in the murder trail of Anna Politkovskaya, the muckraking journalist, author, human rights activist and Kremlin critic shot dead on October 7, 2006. But a key piece of evidence — nay, the key piece of evidence — is missing. The prosecution has lost (lost!) a video presentation containing footage from the security camera above Politkovskaya’s apartment building. Footage which, apparently, contains a shot of the assassin.

Just as court was about to convene today, the prosecution said it cannot proceed without the video, and so the whole show’s on hold for now, while somebody looks around for a copy of the video. The person responsible for Politkovskaya’s murder remains at large, and those who ordered the killing remain unnamed. We’re no lawyers, but we watch enough TV to know somebody should be yelling “objection!” right about now.

Обвинение потеряло видеозапись с предполагаемым убийцей Политковской[Lenta.ru]