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Crowds Bid Farewell to Russian Reporter
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Investigators have obtained grainy footage from a surveillance camera of a young man leaving her apartment building immediately after the shooting.
Politkovskaya's newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, which is partly owned by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, has offered a reward of nearly $1 million for information leading to the capture of her killers and whoever ordered the murder.
Enveloped in white satin with gold trim, Politkovskaya was almost unrecognizable in death, her piercing eyes closed. Her coffin was surrounded by red and white roses and carnations that mourners placed on the floor.
More than a dozen people, including Politkovskaya's sister and U.S. Ambassador William Burns, offered brief eulogies, standing at the foot of the coffin.
"Without courageous and independent journalists like Anna Politkovskaya, Paul Klebnikov, and others who have lost their lives, no society can defeat corruption or protect the dignity of all its citizens," Burns said. Klebnikov, the American editor of Forbes Russia, was shot and killed in Moscow in 2004.
"For the sake of Russia, I hope that Anna's tragic death will inspire respect for freedom of expression and the rule of law," Burns said. "For the sake of Russia, I hope that Anna's death will remind people of the importance of telling the truth, and seeking justice. For the sake of Russia, I hope that her death will not be in vain."
The anger of some speakers was palpable. "Does professional activity in this country always lead to a bullet in the head?" asked Politkovskaya' sister, Elena, noting that a corruption-busting central banker was gunned down here last month.
The funeral began at 2 p.m., and two hours later some people were still trying to get into the funeral hall. Moscow police said about 3,000 people attended.
"I didn't know her. I just read her," said a tearful Anna Khorokevich, 75, who works at the Institute of Slavic Studies in Moscow. "She was trying to save the honor of Russia. I had to come. For me it's a huge loss."
From the funeral hall, women scattered flowers in front of the Cadillac hearse, which was followed by Politkovskaya's ex-husband, her son, Ilya, and daughter, Vera. At the graveside, an Orthodox priest said final prayers before a few family members kissed her goodbye. The lid was then put on the casket.
