Natalia Estemirova, Found Murdered!

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday July 15, 2009 23:01

by Mick Collins

Natalia Estemirova (50), has been found murdered in the North Caucasus, after having been abducted this morning (July 15th) shortly after leaving for work in the Chechen capital Grozny.

Natalia Estemirova, Found Murdered!

Natalia Estemirova (50) prominent Russian human rights campaigner, has been found murdered in the North Caucasus, after having been abducted this morning (July 15th) shortly after leaving for work in the Chechen capital Grozny. She was working for the the Russian Human Right’s Organisation 'Memorial' and had been working tirelessly to unveil systematic abuse in Chechnya.

Ms. Estemirova’s body was found this evening found in neighbouring Ingushetia and had received fatal gunshots to the head and chest.

Natalia Estemirova; Tireless Human Right's Campaigner

Natalia Estemirova had selflessly worked for several years aiding numerous families to uncover details about kidnapped relatives, concentrating on human rights violations perpetrated by Chechen government back militias. In recognition of this dedicated work she received several international awards, and including being the first recipient of the Anna Politkovskaya Award (2007), She too had championed the cause of the families of the disappeared in Chechnya before she was a0lso murdered in October 2006. Ms. Estemirova’s investigative work in uncovering the dark secrets of Chechnya’s past often found her in direct conflict with Chechen government, most notably the Kremlin-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, whom human rights groups have accused of direct involvement in torturing kidnap victims.

A native of the southern Russian province of Saratov, Ms. Estemirova embarked on a career as a history teacher upon graduating from Grozny until1998. She then turned her attention to investigating human rights violations and became heavily involved in documenting such violations during the second Chechen War which started in 1999. She then took up post with Memorial in 2000 and focused her investigative work on the villages of Novye Atagy in March 2000 and Rigakha in April 2004.

Ms. Estemirova’s Received World Wide Recognition

Ms. Estemirova’s dedication in perilous circumstances brought her worldwide recognition, most notably when both her and Sergei Kovalyov, chairman of Memorial, were awarded the Robert Schuman Medal (Jan. 2005) by a group of MEPs in the European Parliament. During the awards ceremony, the MEPs said:

"A large part of the Chechen society sees Natalia as an emblematic moral figure in the non-violent Chechen resistance.....................Far from political passions, she is, above all, devoted to helping victims of violence."

Fearless And Dedicated!

Whilst visiting London to collect her Politkovskaya prize, Ms Estemirova was interviewed about her life and work by BBC World Service's Outlook programme. When asked if she ever felt her life was in danger due to the extenuating circumstances her dangerous work placed her under, Ms Estemirova replied;

"Sometimes I just can't even come to feeling that because I have such strong other feelings.........I try to be very exact about how I go about things and of course I do have worries about my family and people close to me but I still have to do my work.”

And with an air of defiance and resolution she concluded;

"Of course there are moments when I feel scared."

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Comments (4 of 4)

Putin's mafia strike again?

by Greg T

Thu Jul 16, 2009 17:39

Putin's mafia strike again? Probably impossible to prove, but I think this may be further evidence that Putin is Russia answer to George Bush (senior). I notice the Russian state has also been attempting to rehabilitate Stalin, as well as repressing criticisms of the former dictator.

Down with that sort of thing.

by Hubris - Organisation to Stamp out Intarweb Stupidity

Sat Jul 18, 2009 15:51

Speaking of rehabilitation . . . .

I noticed Mr Pat Kenny, rimmer extraodinaire, was busy helping ex-prison-inmate Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (a man who has benefited from rehabilitation if ever I saw one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Aitken) wield his trusty simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, in the service of portraying the utterly corrupt alcoholic buffoon Boris Yeltsin as a noble man of the peepil

The brown-tongued Pat and the crooked Jonathan were attempting to describe the moron Yeltsin as a fine Patriot initially concerned only with battling the excesses of the Communists

Why the crooked Jonathan would be attempting to rehabilitate the alcoholic buffoon who allowed 'western' pirates such as Mark Rich and the Rothschilds* to plunder the wealth of the Russian nation is anyone's guess.

For some reason there was a lot of discussion about Kazakhstan

The fact that Kazakhstan is very rich in mineral wealth would not of course in any way be an explanation for the crooked Jonathan's interest in the place.

Oh noes . . . .

* For a discussion on Rothschild 'Frontmen' (i.e. oligarchs) in Russia see:
http://www.gnn.tv/threads/32537/Georgian_party_tells_pr...age=1

another good woman gone

by lulu

Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:52

But the struggle for human rights continues. Comments and condolences can be left on Amnesty International website.

Call for Action

by Justin Morahan

Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:59

Take action with Amnesty in demanding an investigation into the murder of Natalia. There's an excellent You Tube video there also explaining her involvement in the investigation of murders and torture in Chechnya and how she and her team brought cases to the European Court of Human Rights - and won.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/Acti...93222

See also Mairead Maguire's Press Release on the brutal abduction and murder of Natalia:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93222

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Natalia Estemirova, Found Murdered!

Comments (4 of 4)