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The murder of lawyer Markelov is gaining new versions
In Moscow, on Prechistenka Street near house No. 1 yesterday afternoon, a rally was held in memory of lawyer and human rights activist, president of the Institute for the Rule of Law Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta correspondent Anastasia Baburova, who were shot dead at this place on Monday. About 300 people took part in the event - people carried flowers, photographs and memorial candles to the site of the tragedy. Meanwhile, the investigation into the crime has not brought any significant results. Yesterday, according to the Investigative Committee, the first piece of evidence was found at the murder scene - one of the bullets that killed the lawyer and the journalist; in addition, a composite sketch of the killer was compiled. Various versions of the assassination attempt have been put forward so far.Among those who gathered to honor the memory of the victims were well-known human rights activists, representatives of international organizations, lawyers, members of anti-fascist organizations and simply sympathizing Muscovites. In addition, students of the Faculty of Sociology of Moscow State University, whose interests Mr. Markelov represented in their confrontation with the dean’s office in 2007, and students of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, where Anastasia Baburova studied, came to the “White Chambers on Prechistenka”, where the murder was committed. During the action, traffic along Prechistenka was partially blocked, and a police cordon was set up along the roadsides. Despite the fact that the action was not coordinated with the capital's authorities, the police did not stop it, and everything went smoothly. Yesterday, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov signed a decree awarding Stanislav Markelov the medal “For Services to the Chechen Republic” posthumously.
Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova were killed on January 19 at about 14.30, when they were returning from a lawyer's press conference on the parole of former Russian army colonel Yuri Budanov. The lawyer represented the interests of the family of the Chechen girl Elza Kungaeva, for whose murder Budanov was convicted. When the defender and the journalist were passing by house No. 1 on Prechistenka, the killer caught up with them from behind and shot both of them in the back of the head with a pistol with a silencer, after which he calmly left. Mr. Markelov died on the spot, the girl died later in the hospital.
Yesterday, the Investigative Committee reported that they had managed to create a composite sketch of the killer. But, according to unofficial information, it is very approximate - surveillance cameras installed in the area of the emergency scene recorded the criminal only from afar. Also yesterday, investigators again examined the murder scene, including with metal detectors, trying to find, apparently, at least some evidence (the previous day’s inspection did not yield any results). One of the three bullets with which the lawyer and journalist were shot was found in the snow. At the same time, unofficial information appeared that she was allegedly found not by investigators, but by a random passerby.
As the Investigative Committee stated, investigators began to study the lawyer’s affairs, the telephone conversations he had recently conducted, and conducted inspections and searches of the home and place of work of Markelov and Baburova. However, as the head of the human rights movement “For Human Rights” Lev Ponomarev, who worked together with Markelov, said yesterday (the Institute for the Rule of Law and the movement “For Human Rights” are in the same office), no searches were carried out at their place. “Investigators called me, but so far no one has come to us,” Mr. Ponomarev said. He also said that the question of who would represent the interests of Mr. Markelov's family had not yet been resolved.
The SKP noted that the murder, apparently, was carefully prepared, but did not say anything regarding the possible motives for the attempt. The investigation representative only announced general versions. According to one, the murder could have been committed by a professional killer carrying out an “order”; according to the other, it could have been a lone criminal who could have become angry with Mr. Markelov because of his comment on a human rights topic. Many human rights activists, including the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chechnya, Nurdi Nukhazhiev, are confident that the murder of Stanislav Markelov is connected specifically with the Budanov case. The lawyer himself previously stated that he had received threats. Yesterday, the Grozny branch of the Memorial human rights center distributed an SMS message that the lawyer received shortly before the murder (given in the original spelling and punctuation): “Are you a brainless animal getting involved in Budanov’s case again??!! You idiot, couldn't you find a calmer way to commit suicide??? Go quickly to the transplant center, maybe your insides will be useful to someone there, even though you won’t die in vain, maybe they’ll give you some money. Have you actually decided to make this year better by freeing us from your presence?!”
Meanwhile, Elsa Kungaeva’s father, Visa, who currently lives in Norway, announced that he intends to hire a new lawyer instead of the deceased Mr. Markelov, as he intends to bring the case against Budanov to the end. He also said that the police had placed his family members and their home under tight security.