MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's top investigators said on Tuesday they had reopened a probe into the July 2003 death of Yury Shchekochikhin, a Russian investigative journalist and liberal lawmaker.
Shchekochikhin, who reported on high-profile corruption cases, died after a brief and mysterious illness almost five years ago, at the age of 53. A forensic examination concluded that the cause of death was an allergic reaction. However, friends and associates suspect Shchekochikhin was poisoned.
"I have sent the materials to the Moscow investigative department for a fourth examination," Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee, said.
Shchekochikhin wrote for opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta along with Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in October 2006.
