MOSCOW, August 30, 2008 (AFP) - Demonstrators gathered in Moscow on Saturday to pay tribute to slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya and draw attention to what they claimed was a lack of freedom of speech that led to her death.

With flowers and portraits of Politkovskaya in hand, those among the dozens of demonstrators spoke of her 'courage' as a prominent critic of the Kremlin.

The journalist, among the few to have spoken out against human rights abuses in Russia, was gunned down in October 2006 in the hall of her Moscow building. She would have been 50 years old this year.

'Politkovskaya was the heart of Russia...it's the regime that killed her,' said human rights advocate Sergey Kovalev.

Former world chess champion and outspoken Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov called for a monument in honour of the journalist.

In July court officials said the man suspected of murdering Politkovskaya has been sought since 2001 for crimes committed in Russia and was hiding somewhere in western Europe.

An investigative committee said in June that it had wrapped up its case and three people had been charged in connection with the killing.

In addition, a member of the FSB security service was also charged with extortion and abuse of office in connection with the inquiry.