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