Rule of Law
Russian Human Rights Lawyer Shot and Killed
Posted Jan 20, 2009, 01:14 pm CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
A Russian human rights lawyer and a journalist were shot and killed Monday.
Colleagues suspect lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova were targeted because of their work, the Washington Post reports. The shooting occurred after a news conference in which Markelov protested early parole for a former Russian military officer imprisoned for killing a young Chechen woman.
Officials told the New York Times they believed Markelov was the primary target. Markelov had brought cases against the Russian military, Chechen warlords and neo-fascists. He also was director of the Rule of Law Institute, a civil liberties group.
“Given Mr. Markelov’s propensity for challenging the Russian authorities and others known to settle scores violently, the list of potential suspects is lengthy,” the Times writes.