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Novaya Gazeta: We are not afraid
The killers have no fear because they know they will not be punished. But neither are our newspaper and its legal advisor. He was their victims afraid, because when you responsible for the civil cases of Anna defend others you cease to fear. Politkovskaya, defending those she wrote about. He represented our journalists in On 19 January in court. Stanislav was the centre of attorney for the family of Moscow Anastasia Igor Domnikov, an editor Baburova, a with Novaya gazeta who journalist with Novaya gazeta, and the was murdered in 2000, and tried to force the lawyer Stanislav authorities to open criminal Markelov were shot proceedings against those dead. The killer who were behind that stood behind them killing and who remain, to and aimed at the this day, at liberty. back of the head. He had no reason to Anastasia Baburova only fear. Not one such joined Novaya gazeta in public political October 2008. assassination has yet led to a trial or She very much wanted to conviction. work for the newspaper and decided to investigate Stanislav Markelov crimes committed by was an exceptional Russia’s Nazi groups. She lawyer. had very little time to do her job. He took on hopeless and dangerous cases. In essence, Stanislav and A Moscow attorney, Anastasia were simply he was constantly in decent people who could Chechnya, not tolerate what the representing the majority in our country has interests of the victims of extra-judicial accepted. That was enough for the lords and punishment and torture. He also dealt with masters of Russia to issue their verdict, for cases elsewhere of those who had been those who are allowed to kill in our country. attacked by Russia’s fascist groups. These were the latest killings of those who Stanislav defended those who were killed or did not fit within the present system. A 34- humiliated by the State. He was a friend to year-old lawyer who defended Chechens P a g e | 2 against Russia’s military, and defended released on parole, for the rape of Elza Russia’s soldiers from their corrupt Kungayeva. The chances of success were commanders. He spoke out against the neo- quite high since the details of the rape that Nazis who are supported by the regime and preceded her 2000 murder by Budanov are defended Russia’s anti-fascists whom the recorded in the case materials. regime sends to prison. Markelov defended journalists and rights activists and was It could well be that the former superiors himself a defender of human rights. As a and accomplices of “Cadet”, the policeman consequence in the elite milieu of the Lapin from the remote Khanti-Mansiysk capital’s attorneys he was regarded as an region, were behind Monday’s killing. Lapin outsider. was eventually sentenced to 11 years 25-year-old Nastya imprisonment for the Baburova was also a abduction, torture and romantic rebel, an murder of a Chechen anarchist who took part lad Zelimkhan in the anti-fascist Murdalov. (Stanislav movement and the Markelov represented Dissenters’ marches. his parents in court.) Lapin’s superiors also It was no accident that took part in such she found herself in abductions and torture such company: she sessions. Warrants were quite consciously chose issued for their arrest that path in life. In the several years ago but, eyes of the regime and supposedly, no one ordinary people, who knows where they are. only want to keep out of trouble and quietly The order to kill the survive the present lawyer could have come regime, Nastya’s choice from Chechnya. also made her an Markelov with outsider. Therefore few provocative bravery people in our country could die as she did, took on cases concerning the secret prisons struggling to apprehend the assassin. In the built in the Kadyrov family’s native village office in front of which Stas and Nastya of Tsentoria, where Chechens are tortured were shot people heard gunfire and even and killed. understood immediately what had happened. They were afraid to go out, however, or After the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, even to glance through the window. with whom Stanislav Markelov was closely linked through North Caucasian affairs, we The motive behind Markelov’s murder realised that more of our people ─ the could be found in almost any of his cases. newspaper’s journalists, lawyers and rights These include that of Budanov. Stanislav activists ─ could be next. After Anna was Markelov was demanding that new charges killed many people waited for the regime to be brought against ex-colonel Budanov, just speak clearly and take decisive action. What P a g e | 3 we actually heard would have better not been said. On Monday the list of our losses was continued by Markelov and Baburova. It’s no surprise. We are not the only ones to pick up the message being sent out by the regime: all the country’s fascist trash also understand it very clearly.
It was not by chance that Stanislav and Nastya had been friends for many years (she was only 25!) They were people who had an absolutely clear understanding of good and evil. Such abstractions acquire meaning when people act.
The killers have no fear because they know they will not be punished. But neither are their victims afraid, because when you defend others you cease to fear. Those today who are fearful are the people who keep out of trouble, trying to survive these bad times, when the bad times (for some reason) never seem to end.
Elena Milashina 21.01.2009
Al-Masakin News Agency http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com