Anna Politkovskaya

Russian news media reports say prosecutors have released two of 10 suspects detained in the killing of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

The reports Thursday say authorities freed Oleg Alimov and Alexei Berkin.

Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika Monday announced the arrest of 10 people in the case. He said the murder was organized by a Chechen emigre who had led a group of contract killers in Moscow. He said evidence as to a motive pointed to what he called attempts from abroad to destabilize Russia and discredit its leaders.

Russian news media reports earlier had named an agent of the Federal Security Service, Pavel Ryaguzov, as one of the suspects in the case. But a military court in Moscow Thursday said his arrest is not linked to Politkovskaya's murder.

The journalist was gunned down in her Moscow apartment building last year on October 7.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.