Photos: Murder trial for assassinated Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya begins today, defense calls case: “dust, fluff and ash”

Tue Feb 17, 9:04 AM ET

Defense lawyer Murad Musayev addresses the media outside a court during the trial of three men charged with murdering Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. Musayev on Tuesday accused the prosecution of fabricating evidence. The lawyer made the claim Tuesday in the defense’s final arguments. He described the evidence against his client and two other defendants as ‘dust, fluff and ash.’ (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Tue Feb 17, 9:43 AM ET

Lawyers Murad Musayev, center left, and Valery Chernikov, center right, speak to the media outside the court in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. In the trial of three men charged with murdering Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya Musayev has accused the prosecution of fabricating evidence. He described the evidence against his client and two other defendants as ‘dust, fluff and ash.’ (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

UNESCO hosts international seminar on women journalists in Moscow

UNESCO hosts Moscow seminar on women journalists in post-conflict countries

UNESCO is co-organizing an International seminar, “Women Journalists – Experiences of Building Peace Communication in Post Conflict Countries”, to be held at the Central House of Journalists, in Moscow, Russian Federation, on 2-3 February.

 

The seminar aims to collect and analyze international experiences of women journalists working in post conflict zones and to design an international strategy of peace communication, based on cooperation between media professionals and human rights NGOs. It will also seek to create a network of women journalists covering conflict and post conflict regions.
The keynote speaker at the event will be Gloria Steinem (USA), journalist, and leader of the U.S. women’s rights movement, who will discuss the role of women journalists around the world in covering conflict. Other speakers will include: artist and photo designer Umida Akhmedova from Uzbekistan, Russian journalist Victoria Ivleva from a weekly Novaya Gazeta and Khaskhuu Naranjargal from Mongolia-based NGO Globe International who will present a female perspective on the visual representations of tragedy.
Some other topics on the agenda of the seminar include: experiences of female journalists and representatives of civil and peacekeeping organizations; female journalists against the language of animosity; experience of creating world communications in post-conflict zones; perspectives of forming an international coalition of female journalists to cover building peace after conflict; and experience of international organizations in creating stable informational strategies to protect peace and responsible journalism. The participants will also discuss the work of the coalition and identify priorities for the future.
The seminar, bringing together 24 participants from 16 different countries,* is organized by the Glasnost Defense Foundation with support from the UNESCO Moscow Office and the International Federation of Journalists.
****
* Belgium, Croatia, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Russia, Sweden, Senegal, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:Media Advisory 2009-03
• 03-02-2009

Novaya gazeta farewell to Anastasia Baburova and Stalislav Markelov

Society
A farewell to Anastasia
Yesterday, Friday 23 January, Moscow said farewell to Anastasia Baburova. The ceremony was held at 10.30 am in the hall set aside for such purposes at the capital’s Central Clinical Hospital.

novaya_gazeta_farewell_to_baburova_and_markelov_27_jan_09.pdf
download PDF (102.7 KB)

Those who came to say goodbye to Nastya were her colleagues from Novaya gazeta, fellow journalists, lecturers and class mates from the journalism faculty at Moscow University, and her anti-fascist friends.

More than one hundred people had filed past the coffin and placed live flowers around her before the end of the funeral service.

The ceremony was opened by Sergei Sokolov, editor in chief of Novaya gazeta. Nastya had died very young but had lived her life to the full, he said, and achieved a great deal. Then her parents said a few words. Eduard and Larisa Baburov recalled what a cheerful little girl Nastya had been. She played chess and took third place in the CIS championships; she took up martial arts; she won places at several colleges and institutes at once. They said how much she had wanted to become a journalist … “If I

had known what you would be doing here I would never have let you go to Moscow,” Larisa Baburova said over the coffin of her only daughter.

Her friends recalled the Nastya they knew. She never let anyone down, was never afraid and had great inner strength. Many did not hide their tears. Her friends from the anti-fascist movement talked of their other comrades who had died at the hands of Russia’s neo-Nazis: Alexander Ryukhin, Timur Kacharava and Alexei Krylov.

A little later a delegation arrived at the hospital from the Russian Union of Journalists. They carried a large wreath of fresh flowers and expressed their condolences to Nastya’s parents. The honorary president of the journalism faculty Yasen Zasursky was also present. “It is becoming ever more dangerous to pursue the profession of journalism,” he told journalists in the foyer. “How outrageous and unjust that the victim of this cold-blooded killer was a young woman.” The dean of the Moscow University faculty of journalism Yelena Vartanova described Nastya’s work as a student and added that soon, evidently, the faculty would have to add courses in self-defence to its training programme. One of the last to come and bid farewell to Nastya was Oleg Mitvol, deputy head of the Russian environmental protection agency.

People were still filing past the coffin as the ceremony came to an end. By 2 pm only relatives and Nastya’s closest friends remained. The distressed anti-fascists smoked on the hospital steps.

On Saturday Nastya’s coffin was transported to her home town of Sebastopol in the Crimea. The funeral takes place on Monday.

PS The students and administration of the faculty of journalism have erected a portrait of Anastasia in front of the entrance. The previous day Victor Sadovnichy, rector of Moscow University, placed flowers in front of her picture.

Nadejda Prusenkova
27.01.2009

Moscow says farewell to Stanislav Markelov

At his family’s request, there were no speeches at Stanislav’s funeral on Friday, 23 January.

The Ostankino graveyard was filled with a taciturn crowd. Tears and whispers…The kiosk sold out of flowers. Those who had come to say a last goodbye had difficulty reaching the coffin: it was surrounded by a tightly-packed ring of TV cameramen and photographers.

“Stas was our only lawyer for criminal cases,” said Irina Bergalieva. She heads an association for those living in dormitories in the capital and the surrounding Moscow Region. “He halted one illegal eviction and six other such decisions were pending. I don’t know who is going to defend us now.”

Each person at the graveside threw a handful of earth into the grave. The grave-diggers hardly had any work left to do at the end.

Elena Kostyuchenko
our special correspondent
27.01.2009
——————————————
Al-Masakinn News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

RELATED:
UNESCO condemns murder of journalists in Russia and Venezuela
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/unesco-condemns-murder-of-journalists-in-russia-and-venezuela/

North Caucasus Weekly: Markelov Assassination Tied to Release of Budanov?
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/north-caucasus-weekly-markelov-assassination-tied-to-release-of-budanov/

St. Petersburg Times: Murders of Lawyer, Journalist Slammed as ‘Political Killings’
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/st-petersburg-times-murders-of-lawyer-journalist-slammed-as-political-killings/

Russia Today: Murdered lawyer and journalist remembered
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/russia-today-murdered-lawyer-and-journalist-remembered/

Moscow police say journalists do not need weapons
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/moscow-police-say-journalists-do-not-need-weapons/

Novaya Gazeta’s: Nastya
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/novaya-gazetas-nastya/

CPJ’s May 2007 report on three earlier Novaya Gazeta murders
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/cpjs-may-2007-report-on-three-earlier-novaya-gazeta-murders/

Photo: Friends and family mourn human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov at his funeral in Moscow today
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/photo-friends-and-family-mourn-human-rights-lawyer-stanislav-markelov-at-his-funeral-in-moscow-today/

Photo: Editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta pays his last respects to journalist Anastasia Baburova, Moscow
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/photo-editor-in-chief-of-novaya-gazeta-pays-his-last-respects-to-journalist-anastasia-baburova-moscow/

Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta wants to arm its journalists
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/russian-newspaper-novaya-gazeta-wants-to-arm-its-journalists/

Moscow: Anna Politkovskaya murder trial postponed until Feb. 2
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/moscow-anna-politkovskaya-murder-trial-postponed-until-feb-2/

Russia Profile.org: Double Murder in Broad Daylight, Markelov murder a contract killing
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/russia-profileorg-double-murder-in-broad-daylight-markelov-murder-a-contract-killing/

Novaya Gazeta: We are not afraid
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/novaya-gazeta-we-are-not-afraid/

PHOTO: protesters hold portraits of assassinated civil rights lawyer Stanislav Marleov and freelance reporter Anastasia Baburova at the Russian embassy in Kiev
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/photo-protesters-hold-portraits-of-assassinated-civil-rights-lawyer-stanislav-marleov-and-freelance-reporter-anastasia-baburova-at-the-russian-embassy-in-kiev/

CPJ statement on the murder of freelancer Anastasiya Baburova in Moscow today, “Baburova is the fourth Novaya Gazeta journalist killed since 2000″
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/cpj-statement-on-the-murder-of-freelancer-anastasiya-baburova-in-moscow-today-baburova-is-the-fourth-novaya-gazeta-journalist-killed-since-2000/

Norway sheltering Chechen family after human rights lawyer Stanislav Kungayev and freelance reporter Anastasia Baburova assassinated
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/norway-sheltering-chechen-family-after-human-rights-lawyer-stanislav-kungayev-and-freelance-reporter-anastasia-baburova-assassinated/

Moscow Times report on the murders of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/moscow-times-report-on-the-murders-of-stanislav-markelov-and-anastasia-baburova/

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns murder of freelance journalist Anastasia Baburova
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/international-federation-of-journalists-ifj-condemns-murder-of-freelance-journalist-anastasia-baburova/

PHOTOS: Russians mourn death of journalist Anastasia Baburova murdered Jan. 19
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/photos-russians-mourn-death-of-journalist-anastasia-baburova-murdered-jan-19/

Novaya Gazeta’s: Nastya

By Ilia Donskykh

 

MOSCOW, Jan. 23 (Novaya Gazeta)—Nastya Baburova rang me sometime in mid-October last year.  “Can I come to the paper to work?”

 

nastya_23_jan_09.pdf
download PDF (82.1 KB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Of course. What’s up? Did they sack you?”

 

“No, it’s just I want to be somewhere you can write normally…”

 

It was then that we began to hear about the new Tesak case and the trial of the Ryno-Skachevsky band, which targeted foreigners and migrant workers, was just beginning, on 2 December they were found guilty of 20 murders. 

 

So Nastya’s appearance was heaven-sent. She already knew the subject perfectly.  Without exaggeration I can say that there are few people in all Russia who knew as much about our neo-Nazis, our anti-fascist movement and youth organizations, as she did. It was not, perhaps, so much a matter of knowledge and skills either. 

 

The majority of Russia’s professional journalists would have reacted dismissively: fascists, anti-fascists—don’t we have enough crazy people already?  But Nastya

 

realized that we must discuss and cover such themes.

 

Anastasia Baburova was in the year ahead of me at the Moscow University faculty of journalism. Nastya was also older than her classmates, however. She had come to Moscow from Sebastopol in the Crimea and first got a place at the prestigious Moscow Institute for International Relations.  Soon she decided, however, that her future did not lie in diplomacy and transferred to us.

 

Nastya studied for four and a half years at the university’s journalism faculty.  And that speaks well of our teachers.

 

I won’t describe how we felt on Monday: students, journalists and all of us. “It can’t be true”, “it’s impossible” were words repeated again and again in half-hearted conversations.  Probably this is the most terrible event I can recall.  Because there’s no one to answer the questions—Why? What for?  We are the ones who must find the answers.

 

Our last conversation was shortly before the New Year.  Novaya Gazeta had already closed for the vacation period and everyone was getting ready for the holidays: New Year, Christmas.

 

“Hi.  I’ve got an article here. It’s very short.”

 

“Nastya, nobody’s at work now. It’s vacation time.”

 

“I understand that but someone must read it. It can’t wait.”

 

Al-Masakin News Agency

http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com

Novaya Gazeta: We are not afraid

The killers have no fear because they know they will not be punished. But neither are their victims afraid, because when you defend others you cease to fear.

 

novaya_gazeta_21_jan_09.pdf
download PDF (106.1 KB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 19 January in the centre of Moscow Anastasia Baburova, a journalist with Novaya gazeta, and the lawyer Stanislav Markelov were shot dead. The killer stood behind them and aimed at the back of the head. He had no reason to fear. Not one such public political assassination has yet led to a trial or conviction.

 

Stanislav Markelov was an exceptional lawyer.

 

He took on hopeless and dangerous cases. A Moscow attorney, he was constantly in Chechnya, representing the interests of the victims of extra-judicial punishment and torture. He also dealt with cases elsewhere of those who had been attacked by Russia’s fascist groups.

 

Stanislav defended those who were killed or humiliated by the State. He was a friend to

 

our newspaper and its legal advisor. He was responsible for the civil cases of Anna Politkovskaya, defending those she wrote about. He represented our journalists in court. Stanislav was attorney for the family of Igor Domnikov, an editor with Novaya gazeta who was murdered in 2000, and tried to force the authorities to open criminal proceedings against those who were behind that killing and who remain, to this day, at liberty.

 

Anastasia Baburova only joined Novaya gazeta in October 2008.

 

She very much wanted to work for the newspaper and decided to investigate crimes committed by Russia’s Nazi groups. She had very little time to do her job.

 

In essence, Stanislav and Anastasia were simply decent people who could not tolerate what the majority in our country has accepted. That was enough for the lords and masters of Russia to issue their verdict, for those who are allowed to kill in our country.

 

These were the latest killings of those who did not fit within the present system. A 34-year-old lawyer who defended Chechens against Russia’s military, and defended Russia’s soldiers from their corrupt commanders. He spoke out against the neo-Nazis who are supported by the regime and defended Russia’s anti-fascists whom the regime sends to prison. Markelov defended journalists and rights activists and was himself a defender of human rights. As a consequence in the elite milieu of the capital’s attorneys he was regarded as an outsider.

 

25-year-old Nastya Baburova was also a romantic rebel, an anarchist who took part in the anti-fascist movement and the Dissenters’ marches.

 

It was no accident that she found herself in such company: she quite consciously chose that path in life. In the eyes of the regime and ordinary people, who only want to keep out of trouble and quietly survive the present regime, Nastya’s choice also made her an outsider. Therefore few people in our country could die as she did, struggling to apprehend the assassin. In the office in front of which Stas and Nastya were shot people heard gunfire and even understood immediately what had happened. They were afraid to go out, however, or even to glance through the window.

 

The motive behind Markelov’s murder could be found in almost any of his cases. These include that of Budanov. Stanislav Markelov was demanding that new charges be brought against ex-colonel Budanov, just released on parole, for the rape of Elza Kungayeva. The chances of success were quite high since the details of the rape that preceded her 2000 murder by Budanov are recorded in the case materials.

 

It could well be that the former superiors and accomplices of “Cadet”, the policeman Lapin from the remote Khanti-Mansiysk region, were behind Monday’s killing. Lapin was eventually sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for the abduction, torture and murder of a Chechen lad Zelimkhan Murdalov. (Stanislav Markelov represented his parents in court.) Lapin’s superiors also took part in such abductions and torture sessions. Warrants were issued for their arrest several years ago but, supposedly, no one knows where they are.

 

The order to kill the lawyer could have come from Chechnya. Markelov with provocative bravery took on cases concerning the secret prisons built in the Kadyrov family’s native village of Tsentoria, where Chechens are tortured and killed.

 

After the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, with whom Stanislav Markelov was closely linked through North Caucasian affairs, we realised that more of our people ─ the newspaper’s journalists, lawyers and rights activists ─ could be next. After Anna was killed many people waited for the regime to speak clearly and take decisive action. What we actually heard would have better not been said. On Monday the list of our losses was continued by Markelov and Baburova. It’s no surprise. We are not the only ones to pick up the message being sent out by the regime: all the country’s fascist trash also understand it very clearly.

 

It was not by chance that Stanislav and Nastya had been friends for many years (she was only 25!) They were people who had an absolutely clear understanding of good and evil. Such abstractions acquire meaning when people act.

 

The killers have no fear because they know they will not be punished. But neither are their victims afraid, because when you defend others you cease to fear. Those today who are fearful are the people who keep out of trouble, trying to survive these bad times, when the bad times (for some reason) never seem to end.

 

Elena Milashina

21.01.2009

 

Al-Masakin News Agency

http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com