Russia Court Orders New Politkovskaya Murder Probe

Anna Politkovskaya

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia's Supreme Court has agreed a request from the family of murdered Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya to send the case back to prosecutors for a new probe to find whoever ordered her shooting.

A Moscow military court last month turned down a petition by Politkovskaya's family to return the case to prosecutors to be merged with an investigation to find whoever masterminded the murder.

Politkovskaya, a 48-year-old mother of two who published scathing exposes of official corruption and rights abuses, was shot as she returned to a central Moscow apartment block from a supermarket on October 7, 2006.

The journalist's killing sparked outrage in the West, which called on the Kremlin to ensure her killers were brought to justice.