Famous Russian Human Rights Defender Natalya Estemirova Was Murdered

Famous Russian human rights defender, representative of the Center “Memorial” Natalya Estemirova was murdered.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered Aleksandre Bastrikin, head of investigation committee of the Russian Prosecutor’s Office, to take all measures to investigate the murder.

Estemirova was collecting the evidence on kidnapping the people; very often international organizations relied on her information.

55-year-old human rights defender, resident of Grozno was kidnapped on Wednesday. Her dead body was found on the same day in Ingushetia close to the federal motorway Kavkaz in the village of Ghazi-Yurt in Nazrani district.

Expert of the international organization Human Rights Watch Tatiana Lokoshina stated based on the information provided by witnesses that two strangers pushed Estemirova into the car. She managed to cry out that she was being kidnapped.

Lokoshina said recently Estemirova was investigating very dangerous cases.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office of Russia Astemirova was shot in head and close to heart.

The USA and Western countries responded to the accident immediately. “France is astonished with the murder of Estemirova,” announced Bernard Kushner, Foreign Minister of France.

In 2006 France awarded the “Memorial” for their activities in the field of human rights protection. On June 23 Ambassador of France to Russia Fransua Zimmer met the representatives of the organization in Grozno and Estemirova was among them.

Source: Interpressnews