Tikhonov-Khasis Trial Begins in Moscow

On 21 February, 2011, the proceedings against Nikita Tikhonov and his common-law wife Evgenia Khasis began in the Moscow City Court. Tikhonov and Khasis are the chief suspects in the murders of civil rights attorney Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova in January 2009 in Moscow.

The case highlights the problems presented by a nationalist movement in Russia that has grown increasingly violent in recent years. Roughly one month after the murders of Markelov and Baburova, the militant nationalist organization BORN (whose existence beyond the Internet is questioned by observers and the media) released a statement calling the victims "enemies" of the "Russian nation." It went on to call the murders the "final warning to anti-Russian human rights activists, journalists and anti-fascists," and warned that if opposition to the Russian ultra-right movement did not cease, "more heads" would "fly." BORN has made a name for itself by claiming responsibility for various high-profile murders in the past.

Nikita Tikhonov is a known figure in the Russian neo-Nazi movement, and was a suspect in the 2006 murder of leftist activist Alexander Riukhin. While representing the victim in court, Mr. Markelov was able to draw significant attention to the case and have Tikhonov, among others, identified as a suspect.

The evidence against Tikhonov and Khasis is substantial, beginning with the identification of both suspects by witnesses to the murders. Further, investigators wiretapped the couple’s apartment and listened to the defendants discuss plans to shoot police officers in the case of their arrest and to flee Russia after committing additional murders. The defendants also noted how the murder of "the lawyer" had caused them problems. The defense acknowledges the existence and content of the recordings, but argues that they do not contain evidence; the prosecution strongly disagrees.

Tikhonov previously stated that he began monitoring Markelov’s movements long before the murder, later withdrawing the testimony and claiming he had incriminated himself under pressure. He also gave, but redacted, at least three detailed confessions to the murders before lawyers, forensic experts, and witnesses. When he was arrested in November 2009, police seized a weapons stockpile that included the Browning pistol used to kill Markelov and Baburova.

The investigation believes that Khasis’ role was to keep track of Markelov at the press conference that became the site of his killing.

The trial process has faced significant roadblocks as jurors and judges have declined to participate due to fears for their safety, while some witnesses report threats against them. Investigators questioned nationalists familiar with Tikhonov, most notably Russian Image (Russki Obraz) leader Ilya Goryachev, who gave evidence linking Tikhonov to the murders. However, according to information published in Kommersant, Goryachev fears for his life and it is unclear whether he will testify in court.

The Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office filed the case on 23 December 2010. Khasis and Tikhonov were officially indicted under sections A, F, K, and L of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code: murder of two or more persons, motivated by hatred; and Parts 2 and 3 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code: the illegal purchase and possession of firearms. Tikhonov was also indicted under Part 3 of Article 327 of the Criminal Code: forgery, in association with forged passports seized in his apartment.