Results of your search

The International Federation of Human Rights (French abbreviation - FIDH) expresses its concern about the departure of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" from the Chechen Republic. The leaders of the Federation believe that the absence of "Memorial" in the republic will create a failure in defence of human rights.

Rashid Aluash, adviser of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Russian Federation, believes that by consenting to hold an independent international investigation into Natalia Estemirova's murder, Russian leaders will manifest their commitment to reveal the culprits.

Batyr Albakov, who was kidnapped and later found dead and who was labelled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia as a militant, was killed for the sake of statistics. This opinion was stated by Magomed Khazbiev leader of Ingush opposition. Human rights defenders note many strange things in this murder. Arsen Sakalov, director of the Nazran-based fund "Legal Initiative" said that as a whole, it happens extremely seldom that the kidnapped person is presented as militant.

According to Mikail Ezhiev, leader of the NGO "Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic", members of local NGOs treat the murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova as a provocation. In their opinion, its aim was to kindle a military conflict between Chechnya and Ingushetia.

The law enforcement bodies engaged in investigating the circumstances of kidnapping and subsequent murder of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial", are searching two cars and the young woman, who was in immediate proximity from the place of the incident at the moment of kidnapping.

A well-known human rights activist Mikael Danielyan, head of the Helsinki Association, complained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that custody conditions of Arshaluis Akopyan, an activist of the Association, are very hard.

The murder of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova has pushed Russian emigrants to dynamic actions. They held a rally in Estemirova's memory on July 17 in Paris. Françoise Petre, employee of the Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that earlier they were rare guests at this sort of actions.

The Grozny office of the HRC "Memorial" has received a cable from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, in which he condoles on the death of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the Centre.

An independent public commission is now set up in Russia for investigating the circumstances of the death of the well-known Chechen human rights defender, employee of the HRC "Memorial" Natalia Estemirova.

The body of assassinated Natalia Estemirova was found in the area, where last year the fatally wounded Ingush oppositionist Magomed Evloev was detected, who had been detained on the previous day by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia at Magas Airport. In the opinion of a source in law enforcement bodies of Chechnya, this circumstance and a number of others evidence that the kidnapping and murder of the renowned human rights activist were parts of a carefully devised action.

On July 20, the GUVD (City Interior Department) of Moscow accepted the application submitted by Andrei Krasnenkov, advocate of President of Chechnya, and requesting to open a criminal case against Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the HRC "Memorial".

The murder of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial" is another tragic example of a cold-blooded murder of a courageous human rights activist, runs a personal statement of Mary Robinson, President of the International Commission of Lawyers. According to Ms Robinson, Natalia Estemirova was one of the most courageous and inspiring human rights defenders she had ever met.