Chechnya Government Officials Should Have No Part in Investigation
President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia should ensure that the investigation into the murder of the human rights defender Natalia Estemirova fully examines the possibility of official involvement, Human Rights Watch said today.
In a July 27, 2009 letter, Human Rights Watch urged Medvedev him to ensure that "all avenues of investigation will be pursued."
Medvedev's appointment of Russia's top federal investigator to lead the investigation was a positive step, Human Rights Watch said. But Medvedev's remarks at a news conference in Munich on July 16 that allegations of official involvement in Estemirova's murder are "primitive and unacceptable to the government" are a cause for concern.
"There are solid grounds for suspecting official involvement in Estemirova's murder," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Dismissing the possibility of official involvement suggests that political limits have been ...
