(A note: sorry for the relatively quiet day - a hectic travel schedule and technological problems have interrupted our regularly scheduled programming ... We appreciate your patience. - James)
Some rather significant breaking news today, as it appears that President Dmitry Medvedev has broken his silence (deplorable silence, in the opinion of some) over the murder of Stanislav Markelov. Nine days after he was murdered in the street. Better late the never? A message, albeit delayed, that the siloviki and military shouldn't, you know, just go around shooting human rights people in the middle of the city during daylight? Or was it just some meaningless, after-the-fact pandering? Medvedev's explanation about why he hasn't made any statements about the murders says quite a lot about legal nihilism. Let's keep our eyes on this one.
From RFE/RL's interview with Dmitry Muratov of Novaya Gazeta, who was invited to the Kremlin today by Medvedev for a little heart to heart chat:
Some rather significant breaking news today, as it appears that President Dmitry Medvedev has broken his silence (deplorable silence, in the opinion of some) over the murder of Stanislav Markelov. Nine days after he was murdered in the street. Better late the never? A message, albeit delayed, that the siloviki and military shouldn't, you know, just go around shooting human rights people in the middle of the city during daylight? Or was it just some meaningless, after-the-fact pandering? Medvedev's explanation about why he hasn't made any statements about the murders says quite a lot about legal nihilism. Let's keep our eyes on this one.
From RFE/RL's interview with Dmitry Muratov of Novaya Gazeta, who was invited to the Kremlin today by Medvedev for a little heart to heart chat:
RFE/RL: And what did Medvedev tell you?
Muratov: Mr. Medvedev said he absolutely did not want to make any statements [on the killing of Markelov and Baburova] because he knew very well how things work in the administration -- he worked as chief of the presidential administration for many years. And he said he understood perfectly well that investigators could interpret the words of the head of state as a directive to pursue a certain line of investigation. As a lawyer he felt strongly against that as a matter or principle.
After allowing some time for investigators to work efficiently and independently, while understanding that what had happened was a tragedy, he decided to invite a shareholder of the newspaper, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the editor in chief to express his condolences, but also to get our perspective as people who don't represent the official or, generally speaking, television's point of view.
RFE/RL: How did he react to your words? What did you speak to him about?
Muratov: I spoke about fascists sensing a certain public mood now, sensing a public demand. I said democratic institutions are stifled and that is probably the reason why fascism has raised its head. There is only one alternative to fascism and that is democracy.
As far as I understood, Dmitry Medvedev is following the situation closely and knows well about fascist, Nazi groups, which kill people constantly, in effect emerging from the underground. I handed our newspaper reports to him, essentially with a calendar of killings. He said it was one of the most dangerous phenomena today and he would pay attention to this matter. He said the cumulative effect of such fascist attacks is in complete contradiction with the path our country should follow.
There two ways to react to the killing of Markelov and Baburova. One is making statements about this killing. Another one is making statements about killings of journalists as whole issue. One could understand that making statements about the killing of Markelov and Baburova would have an impact on the investigation, but not saying anything about killings of journalists and anyone who has an alternative to the Kremlin point of view in general just indicates that Medvedev doesn't mind to have these murders going on.