Murder on the Prechistenka

Monday January 19, 2009 for many will forever remain in the black frame. On this day, it became known: 20-year-old Anton Stradymov, an activist of the banned party of the National Bolsheviks, and in the very center of Moscow, on the Prechistenka, the lawyer Stanislav Markelov and the Novaya Gazeta correspondent, Anastasia Baburova, were scored to death. Markelov was 34, Nastya recently turned 25

Anton Slavimov was killed on Krasny Kazanets Street near the Vykhino metro station. They killed on January 14th. There were no documents under him, he was beaten beyond recognition, and recognized him on fingerprints. On January 19, this news came to the media, and a few hours later it became known about the execution on the Prechistenka. The attackers from Anton took neither money nor a mobile phone, from which Soredymov’s colleagues in the party made an unequivocal, but completely attented conclusion: the household version is noted, the murder was committed for political reasons. A little over a year ago, in December 2007, with similar circumstances

In Serpukhov, the leader of the Limonovites near Moscow, Yuri Chervochkin, was killed in Serpukhov. Both - both sufferers and Chervochkin participated in the most daring shares of a prohibited party.

Stanislav Markelov, unlike Slavimov, was not seen in radicalism: he defended the anti-fascists, beaten by the last year of the editor of the Khimkinskaya Pravda Mikhail Beketov, conducted several cases of abduction of people in Chechnya, acted as a representative of the family of the murdered and scolded Elsa Kungaev Her killers are Yuri Budanova. In connection with the parole, the former Colonel Markelov and convened a press conference in the “Independent Press Center”, located at the address: Prechistenka Street, House 17/9. The press conference ended at about three in the afternoon. At 15.15, he left the press center building with journalist Anastasia Baburova. At 15.27, the killer was already in the subway. Stanislav Markelov died on the spot. Nastya lived a few more hours. The investigation was entrusted to employees of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee under the Russian Prosecutor General. The case of the murder of Anton Slavimov is engaged in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Eastern District of Moscow. The chances that these crimes will be disclosed are extremely few, the majority of experts surveyed by The New Times believes.

“The law enforcement system is in crisis, so the criminals feel unpunished, and the number of crimes is growing,” says the FSB Colonel in reserve, deputy chairman of the Security Committee of the State Duma, in the past - the owner of the famous private security business “Freckd” Gennady Gudkov, to whom The New Times applied for a commentary

Let's go on the facts that became known in connection with the murder on the Prechistenka. So, the killer follows Markelov and Baburova, who left the press center, first on the even side of the street, then, approaching the victims, moved to the odd side. At these 400 meters there were 11 outdoor surveillance cameras, but somehow the killer managed to avoid them: he was either at all on films, or only from the back. Where could the killer get information about where and how these cameras are installed?

There are no problems with this. It is enough to determine the location of the cameras in advance, to understand what areas they control, where they look. The fact is that security television solves the problems, as a rule, local, object. Suppose a camera can work on the input - it fixes incoming, or, conversely, output, or watches parked machines. Urban security television, which exists in all countries, is extremely weak in Moscow. Despite the fact that Prechistenka is one of the central streets. In addition, we have prohibited the installation of hidden cameras. Therefore, the criminal can always familiarize themselves with their location in advance and competently build a route, avoiding getting into the lens.

Markelov’s press conference became known on Friday. Thus, the killer had two days to prepare for a crime. Do you think he did the work on surveillance cameras?

It is unlikely - why should he glow? He could have an accomplice.

Prechistenka is the very center of the city, 10 minutes walk to the Kremlin. Nearby is the "Golden Mile" and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Is it possible, in addition to the police, the Federal Security Service does not control this territory?

For FSO, this is not a strategically important object. There are no travel routes for the first persons of the state, there are no government objects. If a guarded person should pass there, then this street is being worked out, like the neighboring ones. And on the rest of the days - an ordinary street, albeit central, along which millions of people pass on the day.

Usually, several shots are made during custom -made murders, then the control. So Anna Politkovskaya was killed. Here is another handwriting: in broad daylight, one shot - the person is killed, the other is mortally wounded by a girl. And the killer does not finish the witness. What can the nature of the crime talk about? Is this a single criminal? Killer employed?

The fact that the murder was intentional, worked out, well prepared is completely obvious. He was a person who has a well -owned firearm with a certain experience. It can be a loner and a person who worked in a group. Stanislav Markelov was not guarded: he simply had to be fixed in a certain place, to ensure observation for him. He hardly knew how to identify external observation, and he could not notice observation of such a short time while he was walking along the Prechistenka. And the control shot is not needed if he immediately shot in the head. The fact that he later shot a girl-journalist, he says that he shoots well, that he owned himself. There are units where they are taught specially shooting in the head. Maybe he was undergoing this training. These are special forces combat units. I knew one military training instructor who taught his company to shoot in the head. He believed that this produces a strong psychological impact on the enemy. It was about the use of this experience in the mountains, and he specially worked out this exercise with his fighters. The body can be closed by body armor, there are those that protect even from an automatic, carbine shot. The head is not protected by nothing.

Investigators were looking for a sleeve at the crime scene for almost two days. The type of weapon is still unknown: some say - Makarov’s gun, others - Walter.

This is an indicator of the extremely weak professionalism of investigators. The scene must be examined at the first moment - then the traces are lost. My subordinates repeatedly, checking the scene, murders after investigators and after the investigators, found both sleeves and other evidence. Unprofessionalism is a scourge of our law enforcement system.

The killer left with the weapon, did not drop it. Why?

In the vast majority of custom -made murders, the killer calmly leaves, keeping the weapon. He does not run, is in no hurry: he has thought out ways of departure. Random passers -by, eyewitnesses of crimes, as a rule, are in shock: they cannot immediately organize persecution. If the crime was committed by a seriously prepared person, all these operations are “intercepted”, as a rule, do not give anything. Of course, there are rare cases when they are pursuing. We had one ordered murder when we hung up by car and shot at the wheels, but there was an element of chance - just at the site of the murder were eyewitnesses with weapons, who rushed to catch up with the criminal. In my yard, two custom -made killings were committed. I live in Orekhovo-Borisov. Ordinary house. First, they shot a car from the machine gun - people were in the car, motorcyclists drove up, and there was a turn. None of the tenants even understood anything. For the second time, criminals also calmly left.

In Markelov and Baburov, they shot a pistol with a silencer. How strong is the sound?

Nothing is heard.

You say that the offender has prepared well. But when he entered the subway, he did not work an electronic card. He had to slip after some random girl.

Firstly, everyone makes mistakes. There is still no secure, intelligible photobot of the criminal, as we know, and, for example, I am not fully sure that this was the offender. Let's say this: the investigation suggests that the press center had a criminal, and the investigation believes that the criminal entered the subway. But is it proved that the press center, at the place of murder and in the subway, had the same person? Maybe in the subway there was some hurrying student who decided to attach himself to the girl. It is likely that in all these cases there was one and the same person. Likely. But this is not a fact at all.

What was it? - Friends about Stanislav Markelov

Petr Ryabov, teacher, member of the organization "Autonomous Action"

We met during the October events of 1993, when we fired at the White House. I only turned 24, and he was 19. Stas was still a student. We did not like those or others, but we saw that innocent people were suffering, so we decided to help all the victims during the conflict. The idea arose to create a sanitary squad named after Maximilian Voloshin. A group of about 20–25 people formed. They helped the wounded, pulled out the wounded, then they just wore corpses ...

He was very interested in communes and worked for two seasons in our so -called Pryamukhinsky folk artel in the homeland of Bakunin. The anarchists restored the Bakunin estate, we lived a summer commune, Stas was there, worked, like everyone else, and gave lectures. He was an ecologist, an ardent vegetarian, and participated in environmental camps, protests, and the ecological and anarchist movement “Keepers of the Rainbow”. In addition, he was just a very kind person. Often allowed people who had nowhere to go in his apartment. At work, he was fastened with all the buttons, in life he was a very cheerful person, often hippies woke up in him, which he had once been in his youth. Money, a career - this is completely not about him. As a lawyer, he rather realized his beliefs of the human rights activist, socialist, pacifist, and ecologist. Four years ago, several people burst into the wagon in which he rode at once, attacked him and at the same time shouted: “Well, you realized, lawyer!” Then he was lying in the hospital for several weeks. There were cases when he complained about direct pressure from the FSB when he was called for interrogation and advised to leave the case, otherwise he would go from lawyers to the suspects.

One could only guess what all this cost him. I do not understand how he just kept it all. In addition, he had a family - the eldest son is 5 years old, and the youngest daughter is a little over a year ...

Vlad Tupikin, journalist, anarchist

I knew Stas since 16 years. There was a party of informals in the late 80s-hippies and punks, basically we all engaged in politics. Was he afraid? I never showed this. His murder is a signal to society: do not lean out against the authorities. They want to suppress any will to resist or the desire to climb into their affairs. “Stas worked against the federals in Chechnya, against the cops, defended some Wed Antifa, well, get it,” this position is already walking in full swing on blogs.

Ute Weinmann, journalist, anti -fascist

The last time we saw in early December. We discussed the appearance of his home address on one of the Nazi sites. Then the computer game appeared “Kill the Tajik”, in which, in the end, it was Stas Markelov who had to be killed. We discussed how to be in this case and whether it is worth informing the police about these threats. He then said: "Whatever you do, it still will not help." And he spoke more serious than usual. The last time he said goodbye to his family at the station, returning to Moscow - they live in Belarus, said goodbye to them as if for the last time.

Dmitry Makarov, Legalteam legal security group

He always emphasized that it is necessary to work with society - not to plant Nazis or fight with them on the streets, but to fight fascism in their heads. Another of his favorite thesis: one thing won in Chechnya gives the effect a lot more than dozens of things won in the European Court. Thanks to this, the Chechens saw that those who tortured and killed them could be planted using Russian legal proceedings.

Why and who killed Markelov’s lawyer and the journalist of Novaya Gazeta who turned out next to him? Versions are at least four.

Nazis

Anti -fascist Alexander, closely familiar with Stanislav Markelov, nicknamed Albino, is sure that nationalists are standing for the murder of a lawyer. “I think that the Nazis did this, especially since there are not only pimples, now there is no shortage of those who served in the army, were in hot spots and could commit this murder,” says Alexander. “And of course, it was not a loner, a crime was prepared by several people - it was necessary at least in order to surveilla.” Many other anti-fascists adhere to this version, claiming that during other Markelov press conferences, they recorded an attempt to observe him from young people similar to the Nazis. Antifa activists promised to convey the photograph of one of them to investigators.

However, this version does not find wide support. “For the Nazis, a firearm is a rarity,” says Alexander Verkhovsky, head of the Center for Monitoring Radical -Nationalistic Active. “Although do not forget the case with a shot Tajik two years ago.” “Still, the handwriting of the Nazis is knives at the entrance,” Sergey Smirnov, acquaintance of Markelov, confirms, also confirms Markelov in the antifa movement.

Budanov's case

The most attering version is about the connection of Markelov’s murder with the liberation of Colonel Yuri Budanov, against whom he fought, representing the family of the murdered Chechen Elsa Kungaeva. This is far from the first matter of this kind in Markelov’s biography: he led and achieved the conviction of an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Sergey Lapin (the call sign “cadet”), found guilty of torture of civilians in Chechnya. Thus, the version was born that the murder of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova could be the so -called “officer underground”, that the press recently began to be called “Kvachkovism”.

On the Internet, in a living magazine, immediately after the crime, a blogger under the nickname Pro_kurator, later identified by the Internet community as a FSB lieutenant, Anatoly Babkov, brightly lit up with his comments. In clearly negative tonality, this “prosecutor”, calling himself the “Caucarian”, listed those whom the lawyer Markelov defended, determined the murdered - “Russophobe, human rights activist” and issued his verdict: “to everyone according to his deeds”. He wrote: “I studied on my father’s“ Volga ”, when there was no“ Cossacks ”at shit. Therefore, I understood who I was and who is everyone else. All these democratic bl ... Denys personally took away power and superiority. I had to get what was to be mine by the right of birth - a car, money, power. ” However, it cannot be ruled out that he wrote all this ordinary Internet-how-male.

“This (the murder of Markelov) was most like, of course, to Kvachkov. I am not saying that it was Kvachkov, but it could be people who are in a way that the so -called Russian patriots are tuned, ”says Sergey Smirnov. But according to Alexander Verkhovsky, the time for the murder of Markelov was chosen very strange: “To kill the ex-colonel Budanov 4 days after the release of-to immediately make suspicions on him,” says the head of Owl.

Chechen trace

The colleagues of Anastasia Baburova in Novaya Gazeta believe that someone from the leadership of Chechnya could stand behind the murder: Stanislav Markelov, including things to abduct people in this republic. However, according to eyewitnesses, the killer was not a southerner - a Slav. If you recall other loud killings, somehow related to Chechnya, then customers never resorted to the services of “people from the outside”. It is enough to recall the case of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya or the murder of the ex-deputy of the State Duma Ruslan Yamadayev: in both cases, the main suspects are Chechens ... Moreover, immediately after the crime, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov posthumously appropriated the Medal Medal “For Merits to the Chechen Republic”, and a crowded rally of memory was held in Grozny.

Khimkinsky version

The murder could have been connected with the activities of Stanislav Markelov to protect the interests of the battered editor of the Khimkinskaya Pravda Mikhail Beketov. This version is partially connected with the version of the possible involvement in the crime of former Afghan officers. True, here the motive is not at all patriotic. In the attack on an opposition journalist who criticized the leadership of Khimki, many suspect the city administration. The mayor of Khimki Vladimir Strelchenko and his entourage are entirely members of the so -called “combat brotherhood” - the association of veterans who participated in the military conflicts of the Soviet era (The New Times wrote about the Biquetov case in No. 49 of December 8, 2008). This version adheres to, for example, the deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor and the fighter with the country lawless Oleg Mitvol: “The basis of this kind of custom -made murders is the money. And the money - of those large, scandalous affairs that Stas Markelov led - lie in the case of Mikhail Beketov. Those people who are interested in earn hundreds of millions of dollars on the cutting of the Khimki forest, you know, these people do not stop before the blood. ” Mitch recalls that Markelov was going to conduct his own lawyer investigation of the circumstances of the attack on journalist Beketov. Если это расследование дало реальные результаты, доказывающие причастность врагов Бекетова к его избиению, то Маркелов становился для них по-настоящему опасен. Тем более что 1 марта в Химках должны пройти выборы мэра города.