 In September 2001, journalist Anna Politkovskaya published an article in "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper called "The Disappearing People", in which she wrote about the allegations connecting Sergei Lapin and his OMON colleagues to the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov.Following the publication of this article, Politkovskaya received two letters containing threats to her life, apparently written by Lapin.The Office of the Procurator of the city of Nizhnevartovsk in Khanty-Mansyski region opened a criminal investigation in October 2001 into Lapin’s involvement in threatening the safety of Politkovskaya and the investigation had been reportedly closed and renewed at least nine times.