Cherkasov: Kadyrov's words about Estemirova are self-explaining

Alexander Cherkasov, a member of the Board of the HRC "Memorial", believes that the recent statements of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov that Natalia Estemirova, assassinated in Chechnya, "had never had honour, dignity and conscience", are, first of all, self-evidencing.

"I prefer to refrain from comments on Kadyrov's statements on Estemirova for one simple reason - they are more self-explaining," Mr Cherkasov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "Putin, as far as I remembered, said something of this sort about Natasha's murdered friend Anna Politkovskaya; however, Putin said it immediately and spontaneously. Kadyrov kept thinking for 3 weeks."

Liudmila Alekseeva, chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Kadyrov's statements about Natalia Estemirova had been caused by the fact that Chechen President regards previous President of Russia to be his idol. "As to Kadyrov's words about Natasha Estemirova, I said that Putin gave a similar comment on Anna Politkovskaya's murder; and it's not quite true that he had done it immediately: some time had passed then. He did it in Germany, when he had arrived there and was asked about it; less than three weeks had passed, but it was not on the murder day."

"I said that since Kadyrov regards Putin to be his idol and is ready to give his life for him, naturally, he imitates the behaviour of his idol, but by virtue of his temperament or intellect, I don't know, he spoke much tougher; I'd even say - dirtier," said Ms Alekseeva.

She has also expressed her opinion that a person should be sued for such statements; "however, under our laws, it can be done only by the addressee of the insults."