Warsaw, 20.01.2009
The President of the Russian Federation,
Dmitrii Medvedev,
23, Ilinka str, Moscow 103132, the Russian Federation
Open Letter
The brutal murder of the well-known human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and the Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova incites our decisive protest and condemnation.
We are shocked by this criminal act which has continued the line of murders of lawyers, journalists and citizen activists involved in defending human rights in the Russian Federation. The inability of the authorities to ensure an appropriate level of safety for active people from these communities evokes a serious feeling of unease and places democratic standards under threat.
We challenge the Russian authorities to carry out a swift, complete and efficient investigation, making not only the perpetrators accountable but also those who ordered the murders of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova.
On behalf the Board,
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights,
/ – /
Danuta Przywara,
President of the Board
