credits to source: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30043
RUSSIA: 20 January 2009
Horrifying double murder of lawyer and journalist in central Moscow underlines climate of impunity
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Reporters Without Borders today reacted with horror to the double murder in central Moscow of lawyer Stanislav Markelov, specialising in murders committed in Chechnya, and journalist on the bi-weekly Novaya Gazeta who was with him, Anastasia Baburova, shot dead as they left a press conference given by the lawyer.
Markelov had at the 19 January press conference condemned the early release of Yuri Bodanov, a Russian former colonel who was sentenced in 2003 to ten years in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old Chechen, Elza Kungayeva, whose family Markelov was representing.
As they left the press conference at 2pm, a masked man wearing a chapka (Russian fur hat) shot Markelov. The young journalist was shot in the head as she tried to prevent the killer from escaping and died a few hours later from her injuries without regaining consciousness.
Stanislas Markelov had recently received death threats. The prosecutor general Yuri Chayka said he was taking control of the investigation.
“We offer our condolences to the families of Anastasia Baburova and Stanislav Markelov” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “Their deaths are a tragedy, resulting from the persistent hold of violence on Russian society but also the impunity that reigns in cases of murders of journalists and human rights activists.”
“We salute the courage of Markelov, who had defended many journalists including Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in October 2006, and Mikhaïl Beketov, brutally assaulted last November. Russia has lost a tenacious lawyer who did his utmost to defend the interests of families of victims of atrocities in Russian Caucasia”.
“Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of Anastasia Baburova, who made the choice to become a journalist and deal with sensitive issues, particularly ultra-nationalism. She was a brave young woman, which is clearly demonstrated by the fact that she was fatally injured while trying to stop the gunman” the organisation added.
“The authorities must quickly hunt down, identify and try those responsible for this double murder. Murders of journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders in Russia can only be stopped by breaking the cycle of impunity.” it concluded.
The trial of the four suspects in the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, who tirelessly exposed crimes committed in Chechnya, resumed the same day in Mosocw. Neither those who ordered her killed nor the suspected gunman are among those in the dock.
Ceremonies in memory of Stanislav Markelov and Anastassia Baburova were held in Moscow and Chechnya.
(the above had been posted here for the convenience of readers, with no disrespect to its original writer. this blog is purely for academic purposes.)
Pretty shocking news that we don't get on this side of the world usually. But with a headline like that, it sure catches the attention – and it had caught mine really fast. Looking through the article, the part of me that's focused on completing my assignment on this blog seems to simply scream our "LOGOS" and "PATHOS" (which for the layman, it's simply to appeal to reason and to appeal to emotion - of the audience, that is). Yet another part of me - the audience self is already reading on, interested to find out the cause of the horror reflected in the title.
Perhaps it is fine example of effective communication, where the message of the injustice and audacity of the act - the murder of two individuals who were standing on the side of justice and truth - springs loud and clear off the board of sound explanation of what had occurred, injected with statements made by no less than the worldwide press freedom organization. Sadly, a stand for the two individuals made too late - for their silencing had already occurred.
Yet their voices, while no longer audible in sound, may now be louder than ever in their silencing – as it now is held in the hands of those who would not see their work end with the loss of their lives – as these reporters have done, through their reporting of the incident. Many tend to over-generalize people by their occupation, like how journalists tend to be associated with adjectives like nosy and lawyers with words like unscrupulous. This report, however, would urge one to re-evaluate the truth or rather, untruth in such an all-encompassing view of a collective group of people – with the presentation of two individuals who had taken a solid stand in their pursuit of justice which they had prized above their very lives. Change in perspective, anyone?
With that in mind, are there those whom you hold in a certain view – whether good or bad – simply by their occupation or social position? And having read this, would you rethink that opinion you have? Whether yes or no, do tell.
