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| Prominent Russian lawyer killed | Prominent Russian lawyer killed |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A top human rights lawyer who acted for the family of an 18-year-old Chechen woman murdered by a Russian army officer has been shot dead in Moscow. | A top human rights lawyer who acted for the family of an 18-year-old Chechen woman murdered by a Russian army officer has been shot dead in Moscow. |
| Stanislav Markelov, who acted for the family of Kheda Kungayeva, was shot by an unknown man after a news conference in the centre of the Russian capital. | Stanislav Markelov, who acted for the family of Kheda Kungayeva, was shot by an unknown man after a news conference in the centre of the Russian capital. |
| He expressed outrage after the officer, Yuri Budanov, was released last week. | He expressed outrage after the officer, Yuri Budanov, was released last week. |
| Budanov was the first Russian officer to be prosecuted for killing a civilian during the conflict in Chechnya. | Budanov was the first Russian officer to be prosecuted for killing a civilian during the conflict in Chechnya. |
| He confessed to strangling Ms Kungayeva in 2000, saying he had acted in a fit of rage while interrogating her, suspecting she was a sniper. He was subsequently jailed for 10 years. | He confessed to strangling Ms Kungayeva in 2000, saying he had acted in a fit of rage while interrogating her, suspecting she was a sniper. He was subsequently jailed for 10 years. |
| Appeal | Appeal |
| Mr Markelov was shot in the head with a pistol fitted with a silencer not far from the building where he had just held a news conference on the Kungayeva case, law enforcement officials said. | Mr Markelov was shot in the head with a pistol fitted with a silencer not far from the building where he had just held a news conference on the Kungayeva case, law enforcement officials said. |
| The decision to release Yuri Budanov led to widespread protests in Chechnya | The decision to release Yuri Budanov led to widespread protests in Chechnya |
| A newspaper journalist who was with him, Anastasia Baburova from the Novaya Gazeta, was badly wounded in the attack and died a few hours later in hospital. | |
| Investigators say that they are examining several possible theories as to the motive for Mr Markelov's killing, including the possibility that it was linked to his professional activities. | Investigators say that they are examining several possible theories as to the motive for Mr Markelov's killing, including the possibility that it was linked to his professional activities. |
| According to the Russian RIA-Novosti news agency, Mr Markelov had just told reporters that he planned to appeal against Budanov's early release. | According to the Russian RIA-Novosti news agency, Mr Markelov had just told reporters that he planned to appeal against Budanov's early release. |
| The municipal court in Dimitrovgrad, where Budanov was serving his sentence, ruled in December that he should be freed early because he had repented his crime. | The municipal court in Dimitrovgrad, where Budanov was serving his sentence, ruled in December that he should be freed early because he had repented his crime. |
| The decision led to protests in Chechnya attended by both human rights activists and representatives of the pro-Moscow authorities. | The decision led to protests in Chechnya attended by both human rights activists and representatives of the pro-Moscow authorities. |
| In an interview with the BBC's Russian Service a few days ago, Mr Markelov said the decision to release Budanov showed that the Russian system was deeply flawed. | In an interview with the BBC's Russian Service a few days ago, Mr Markelov said the decision to release Budanov showed that the Russian system was deeply flawed. |
| "I understand now that there is no rule of law," he said. | "I understand now that there is no rule of law," he said. |
| "My task now is to find out who gave the order for Budanov to be released, and to present a criminal case to the chief prosecutor in order to find out who is guilty of breaching their legal authority." | "My task now is to find out who gave the order for Budanov to be released, and to present a criminal case to the chief prosecutor in order to find out who is guilty of breaching their legal authority." |
| Chechnya has been devastated by heavy fighting since 1994, when Russian troops first poured in to crush a separatist movement. | Chechnya has been devastated by heavy fighting since 1994, when Russian troops first poured in to crush a separatist movement. |