January 18, 2009
Lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova were murdered in central Moscow. They were shot by neo-fascist Nikita Tikhonov.
The bulk of fascists are the children of the liberal economic horror of the 90s, which for some reason was called reforms (Markelov)
On this day, 34-year-old Markelov participated in a press conference regarding the early release of the colonel Yuri Budanov, who received 10 years for the murder of an 18-year-old Chechen woman Elza KungaevaAs her family's lawyer, Markelov disagreed with the idea of the killer being released four years ahead of schedule.
After meeting with journalists, a man with a scarf pulled over his face approached him and fired a pistol into the back of his head. The next bullet struck 25-year-old journalist Anastasia Baburova, who was walking alongside him, in the head.
Markelov received threats on numerous occasions: the lawyer publicly spoke out against neo-fascists and worked extensively in Chechnya.
Baburova studied at the journalism department of Moscow State University and published articles on ecology and neo-Nazism.
It's hard to look a Korean student in the eye after he's just been hit in the temple by two young thugs who jumped out of a departing tram. They jumped out, waved "Sieg Heil!" at the tram, and ran away (Baburova's diary)
The killer was tracked down that same autumn: he turned out to be a 29-year-old Nikita Tikhonov, founder of the Combat Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN). Over four years, its members committed 10 murders and two failed assassination attempts. Along with Markelov and Baburova, their victims included anti-fascists, migrants, a police officer, and a federal judge.
Tikhonov almost immediately admitted his guilt. His girlfriend helped him commit the murder. Evgeniya Khasis, who was monitoring the lawyer's movements. Tikhonov was sentenced to life imprisonment, Khasis to 18 years in a general regime penal colony.
We need protection from Nazis, mafia authorities, and even from law enforcement agencies, which often serve them. We all need protection. And we understand perfectly well that no one but ourselves will ever provide this protection. (Markelov's speech at a rally in November 2008)
