Today (15 July) in Grozny (Chechnya), a prominent member of the North Caucasus office of the Russian NGO Memorial, Natalia Estemirova, was abducted by unidentified men and later found dead in the neighbouring Russian republic of Ingushetia.

Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement in Berlin today (15 July) condemning this murder:

“I am shocked by the murder of Natalia Estemirova and condemn this cowardly act in the strongest terms.

Natalia Estemirova was a courageous campaigner for human rights in the northern Caucasus. This crime must now be solved quickly, the perpetrators and instigators found and brought to justice.”

The NGO Memorial is one of the leading human rights organizations in Russia. It focuses on fostering respect for human rights in the northern Caucasus.