It has been reported that Natalya Estemirova Russian prize winner of human rights was found dead in Ingushetia on Wednesday after she was carried off at Chechnya. Her body had marks of vehement death, news agency ITAR-TASS reported.
The President Dmitry Medvedev expressed his sentiments and ordered for the deep down investigations. In recent months Estemirova was collecting information regarding campaign of the houses that were burnt by government supported militias.
“She was murdered in the morning and had two wounds to the head” Madina Khadziveva spokeswoman at ministry addressed the press conference. The extents of the injuries were not told.
As said by Memorial, Estemirova’s organization that she was kidnapped from Chechen capital of Grozny. The chairperson of Memorial said that she was forced to get into the car by four men and her shout was witnessed as well.
Another organization of human rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW) based in New York had reported that she was kidnapped because of the complexity of the work she was carrying out.
“There’s no doubt that she was killed for her professional activity” said by Tanya Lokshijna, HRW’s researcher.
Campaign group Amnesty International has said that her murder was due the exemption from the punishment that had been given to Russian and Chechen authorities. The organization’s head Irene khan said,”The devastating murder of Natalia Estemirova is a crime that should be condemned and the culprits should be brought to the justice.”
Memorial says that the government security services could be involved in her murder as they feared from her activities.
Natayia Estemirova
RUSSIA CHECHNYA ACTIVIST
July 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Ms Estemirova’s murder is yet another chilling reminder to civil society of the perils faced by some journalists working in conflict zones around the world. By bringing hard hitting facts to the public arena they irrefutably place themselves in the sniper scope of their enemies. Tragically, this despicable crime against both Human Rights and Press Freedom is becoming an increasingly all too common occurrence across the globe. Nevertheless, many journalists remain undaunted in the face of such adversity and continue to run this gauntlet of reprisal in the pursuit of bringing crimes perpetrated against innocents to world attention.
The perpetrators of this grotesque act of murder against the world of human rights must be brought to justice. By allowing these murders to go unpunished is setting a dangerous precedent for other dictatorships to follow!
July 20th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
There has been a long string of violence against journalists in various countries. Mick you are right, it is a testament to those journalists who continue to brave the perils of doing their job. Estimirova was a brave woman who stared down a corrupt and vicious state, for the good of her people. There should be more like her in the world.