MOSCOW: Around 200 people held a rally on Sunday in Moscow to mark the sixth anniversary of the unsolved murder of crusading reporter Anna Politkovskaya.    

Participants held up candles and pictures of the journalist and spoke in remembrance of Politkovskaya, a sharp critic of Kremlin policies in Chechnya, who was shot inside her Moscow apartment building in 2006.

The meeting, attended by numerous opposition figures, was unusual in that had received prior official approval from city authorities.

The low-key anniversary ceremony took place against the backdrop of nationwide celebrations to mark the 60th birthday of President Vladimir Putin, which falls on the same day.

The US State Department said on Saturday it would “continue to shine the spotlight on (Politkovskaya’s) case” and urged more protection for journalists worldwide that speak out against abuses.—AP