Ms Politkovskaya's daughter Vera looks at former police officer Dmitry Pavlyuchenko prior to the judge's verdict.
A MOSCOW judge has sentenced a former police officer to 11 years in prison for his part in the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, who prosecutors claimed helped to track Ms Politkovskaya’s movements and provided the gunman with a weapon, had struck a plea bargain that qualified him for a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.
Ms Politkovskaya’s family opposed the deal, which allowed Pavlyuchenkov to admit his guilt without testifying, on the grounds that it would not help find the masterminds of the killing.
The alleged gunman and four other defendants will be tried separately.
