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Minister of State Hoyer on prosecution of attacks on defenders of human rights in Russia

11.05.2011 - Press release

On 19 January 2009 human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and trainee journalist Anastasia Baburova of the critical newspaper Novaya Gazeta were murdered in broad daylight on a Moscow street. Stanislav Markelov often represented victims of right-wing extremist crimes or other human rights violations. The Moscow public prosecutor’s office charged Russian right-wing extremists with the crime. A few days ago the perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison, while his direct accomplice received a sentence of 18 years.

In response to this verdict, Minister of State Werner Hoyer issued the following statement today (11 May) in Berlin:

“The verdict against the murderer of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova confirms the impression that the Russian state is willing to take decisive action against right-wing extremist crime. I welcome this stance all the more in light of the continuing investigations of other accomplices and instigators.
At the same time, however, I expect further progress in solving crimes against human rights defenders and journalists. In this regard I’m particularly thinking of the murdered journalists Anna Politkovskaya and Natalia Estemirova.”

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