A Moscow court could halt the retrial of three men for the murder of Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya after prosecutors agreed today the case should be merged with an investigation into who ordered the assassination.
Politkovskaya, who published exposés on rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya, was shot dead outside her apartment block in 2006.
The journalist's killing sparked outrage in the West, which saw the murder of a vocal critic as a key test of the Kremlin's resolve to protect freedom of speech.
The three suspects currently on trial were acquitted by a jury in February of being accomplices in the murder. But a higher court ordered a retrial, a decision criticised by Politkovskaya's family, who today petitioned for the case to be sent back to state prosecutors.
Politkovskaya family lawyers were surprised when state prosecutors backed the application.
"It makes it more likely that our request will be accepted, but we have to wait and see," said Anna Stavitskaya, a lawyer representing the family.
If the trial judge rules in favour of the petition on Friday, the case would be merged with an investigation into the person who ordered the killing. The man accused of the actual shooting also remains at large.
Defence lawyer Murad Musayev said he also supported the request, saying an additional investigation would help clear the name of the defendants.
Politkovskaya's murder tarnished Russia's image but the Kremlin has always denied any involvement in her death, saying it was an attempt to discredit Russia.
Vladimir Putin, Russia's president at the time of her killing, said the journalist had "minimal influence" on Russian society.
But President Dmitry Medvedev, cultivating his image as a liberal, has been more outspoken in his support for openness and civil society since he came to power last May. He used an interview with Politkovskaya's opposition newspaper Novaya Gazetain April to attack the trade-off between prosperity and freedom which critics say was the hallmark of Mr Putin's rule.
However, analysts say they have so far seen very few substantive changes to Russia's legal system which the president has pledged to improve.