Stanislav Markelov

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Yuryevich and the family name is Markelov.

Stanislav Markelov
Станислав Маркелов
Markelov in 2007
Born	Stanislav Yuryevich Markelov 20 May 1974 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	19 January 2009(2009-01-19) (aged 34) Moscow, Russia
Cause of death	Murder
Occupation(s)	Human rights lawyer and journalist

Stanislav Yuryevich Markelov (Russian: Станисла́в Ю́рьевич Марке́лов, IPA: [stənʲɪˈslaf ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mɐrˈkʲeləf]; 20 May 1974 – 19 January 2009) was a Russian human rights lawyer. He participated in a number of publicized cases, including those of left-wing political activists and antifascists persecuted since the 1990s, as well as journalists and victims of police violence.

Inter alia, Markelov had been the attorney for the family of Elza Kungaeva, a young Chechen woman killed by Russian colonel Yuri Budanov, who was released from prison in mid-January, 15 months before his original sentence was to end. Markelov was murdered by members of the neo-Nazi organization BORN on 19 January 2009 in Moscow.

Career

Markelov was a president of the Russian Rule of Law Institute.^[1] He represented Anna Politkovskaya, who was gunned down in Moscow in 2006; Mikhail Beketov, the editor of a pro-opposition newspaper who was severely beaten in November 2008; and many Chechen civilians who had been tortured. He also defended people who were victims of the Moscow theater hostage crisis.^[2]

Assassination

Main article: Murders of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova

Markelov was shot to death on 19 January 2009 while leaving a news conference in Moscow less than 800 metres (1⁄2 mi) from the Kremlin; he was 34. Anastasia Baburova, a journalist for Novaya Gazeta who tried to come to Markelov's assistance, was also shot and killed in the attack.^[3][4]

The president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko sent a telegram to the parents of Anastasia Baburova on 23 January 2009.^[5] Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered his condolences six days later.^[6][7][8]

Reactions

Close to 300 young people protested in Moscow with slogans such as "United Russia is a fascist country" and "Markelov will live forever".^[9] More than 2,000 people took to the streets of Grozny.^[10] Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International requested an impartial investigation.^[11] A hate crimes expert, Galina Kozhevnikova, said in February 2009 that she received an e-mailed threat warning her to "get ready" to join Markelov.^[12]

Investigation

In November 2009, Russian authorities declared the end of the criminal investigation. The murder suspects were 29-year-old Nikita Tikhonov and his girlfriend, 24-year-old Yevgenia Khasis, a radical nationalist couple involved with a group called Russky Obraz or Russian Image (Russian: Русский образ) and associated with the identitarian organization BORN [ru] (Russian: Боевая организация русских националистов).^[13][14]

References

1. "President of the Rule of Law Institute". Rule of Law Institute. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
2. Naughton, Philippe (19 January 2009). "Anna Politkovskaya's lawyer Stanislav Markelov shot dead in Moscow". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
3. Schwirtz, Michael; Bowley, Graham (19 January 2009). "Chechen Rights Lawyer and Journalist Shot in Moscow". The International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
4. Schwirtz, Michael (19 January 2009). "Leading Russian Rights Lawyer Is Shot to Death in Moscow, Along With Journalist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
5. "Виктор Ющенко выразил соболезнования в связи с гибелью журналистки Анастасии Бабуровой" [Viktor Yushchenko expresses condolences over death of journalist Anastasia Baburova]. Справочная Секретариата Президента Украины (in Russian). 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
6. Kim, Lucian (29 January 2009). "Medvedev Expresses Condolences Over Journalist Slain in Moscow". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
7. "Дмитрий Медведев сказал, почему не выразил соболезнования в связи с убийством Маркелова и Бабуровой" [Dmitry Medvedev said why he did not express condolences in connection with the murder of Markelov and Baburova]. Mideast.ru (in Russian). 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
8. Belton, Catherine (30 January 2009). "Medvedev sympathy for murdered activists signals break from past". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
9. "Анархисты все-таки прошли шествием по Москве" [Anarchists marched through Moscow after all]. Грани.ру (in Russian). 20 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
10. Дадаев, Ахмед (20 January 2009). "Чеченцы хотят увековечить память убитого адвоката" [Chechens want to memorialize murdered lawyer]. Svoboda (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
11. "Правозащитники требуют расследования убийства Маркелова". Грани.ру (in Russian). 20 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
12. Wolfe, Lauren (11 February 2009). "Neo-Nazis threaten to murder journalists in Russia". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
13. Parfitt, Tom (6 May 2011). "Russian neo-Nazi gets life sentence for murdering lawyer and journalist". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
14. Krainova, Natalya (11 November 2013). "Nationalist Suspected in High-Profile Killings Extradited". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.

His articles

• Stanislav Markelov, "Russia's 'Filtration System'"
• Stanislav Markelov, Do Not Read This book

External links

• Media related to Stanislav Markelov at Wikimedia Commons
• "Leading Russian Rights Lawyer Shot in Moscow", The New York Times (20 January 2009)
• Obituary for Stanislav Markelov by Vladislav Bugera, JRL (20 January 2009) (the copy)
• Murder in Moscow. Press criticism, KGB-style by Stephen Schwartz, The Weekly Standard (23 February 2009)
• Markelov's website (Russian)