Yet Another Critic of the Kremlin Assassinated

Abducted Russian rights activist found slain
Killing is latest in attacks on critics of Kremlin
By Mike Eckel ASSOCIATED PRESS | Thursday, July 16, 2009

via Washington Times

MOSCOW | A well-known Russian rights activist was found slain execution-style Wednesday, hours after being kidnapped in Chechnya – the latest in a series of brazen killings targeting critics of the Kremlin’s violent policies in the war-torn North Caucasus.

The daylight slaying of Natalya Estemirova follows the killings in recent years of reporters, lawyers and activists, and appeared to indicate that Russia remains a place where political killings are committed with impunity.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted quickly to the killing – in contrast to other recent killings – expressing his condolences, and ordering the country’s top investigative official “to take all necessary measures.” His spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, said Ms. Estemirova’s killing appeared to be related to her work.

[Of course, the Kremlin has put its top investigators on all the other assassinations of its "critics."  Unsurprisingly, nothing of value has ever come of those "investigations."]

The slaying came the same day as the release of a report she helped do research that concluded there was enough evidence to demand that Russian officials, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, be called to account for crimes committed on their watch.

[...]

And, just a side note:  Natalya Estemirova had also worked with Anna Politkovskaya – another dead critic of the Kremlin…

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