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As reported by Arkadiy Edelev, Deputy Interior Minister, 15 suspected IAF members were killed and two more were detained in the course of a special operation, conducted in the administrative border of Chechnya and Ingushetia.

Natalia Estemirova's death is of no benefit to authorities of Chechnya. Probably, the human rights defender was assassinated by the people, who wanted to frame up the leaders of Chechnya and Ingushetia. This was stated in a telephone conversation with Oleg Orlov, Board Chair of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", of a person, who presented himself as President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.

As stated in Rostov-on-Don by Arkadiy Edelev, Russian Deputy Interior Minister, the investigation has four versions of Natalia Estemirova's murder.

Today, a farewell ceremony with human rights defender Natalia Estemirova took place in the centre of Grozny, which brought together about 100 persons - journalists, human rights activists and people whom she helped.

Russian human rights advocates are confident that the series of murders of the people who defend rights of other people can be stopped by removing Ramzan Kadyrov from the post of the President of Chechnya. This viewpoint was expressed by Liudmila Alekseeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group. In the opinion of Oleg Orlov, Board Chairman of the HRC "Memorial", murders will stop as soon as the authorities cease calling human rights defenders as bandits.

One day before kidnapping and murder of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial", committed on July 15, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent had two telephone conversations with her about the situation with human rights in Chechnya.

The statement of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" that has arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" runs that Ramzan Kadyrov has made the work of human rights activists in Chechnya impossible. Russia is under state terror; those who try to tell the truth and criticize the regime are assassinated; and Natalia Estemirova's murder is also a result of such policy.

Today, on July 15, 2009, our esteemed colleague and friend Natalia Estemirova of the Memorial Human Rights Centre was found murdered in Ingushetia. She had apparently been killed by one or more gun shots to the head. Natalia leaves behind a daughter of 16.

Today's brutal murder of prominent journalist and human rights activist Natalya Estemirova in Chechnya must be thoroughly investigated immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Natalia Estemirova, a leading human rights defender in Chechnya, was found shot dead in Ingushetia on July 15, 2009, Human Rights Watch said today. She is the second human rights activist murdered in Russia in 2009 for trying to publicize grave and continuing human rights abuses in Chechnya. Human Rights Watch urged the Russian government to launch a full, independent, and transparent investigation into Estemirova's murder.

Two residents of the mountainous Shatoy District of Chechnya were detained by power agents on July 13 as suspects of complicity to militants. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it at the Republic's MIA.

Isa Yamadaev has lodged an application to Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Russian ICPO, asking him to protect him from hired gunmen. He asserts that an attempt on him is being prepared, and the order to kill has already arrived to "very serious killers."