Moscow: over 60 persons hold picket in Markelov's and Baburova's memory

In central Moscow, in Prechistenskie Vorota Square, about sixty picketers are holding their action in memory of advocate Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasiya Baburova, murdered by a gunman on January 19 just several metres off the place of today's action. Today is 40 days after the murder.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from the venue that the picketers have placed portraits of Markelov and Baburova at the wall of House No. 1 in Prechistenka Street, where they were assassinated. People are bringing flowers and candles to the place of the murder.

Those rallying in the Square hold posters with inscriptions; in one of them we see Stanislav Markelov's photo and the text: "He could defend everybody, but nobody could defend him." They also hold photos of Anna Politkovskaya, observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", and Magomed Evloev, owner of the oppositional website "Ingushetia.Ru", who had been murdered earlier.

The picketers are friends, colleagues, like-minded fellows of the casualties, anarchists, anti-fascists, human rights activists, members of left-wing and democratic political organizations, including many members of the Human Rights Society "Memorial". Lev Ponomaryov, leader of the Movement "For Human Rights" is also here. He has spoken to the audience and expressed doubt that the inquiry would ever find the killer and customers of these murders.

At 6 p.m., the Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Centre will host a memorial party for Stanislav and Anastasiya, and then - a commemoration dinner.

A similar action is to be held today in Ekaterinburg.

In the context of 40 days after the murder, a number of German NGOs signed a statement expressing solidarity with the people in grief.

"We recollect now that Stanislav and Anastasiya made violations of human rights public. They tried to find those guilty and make them answerable. They did what they found quite reasonable, knowing that it could be dangerous. They are our exemplars," runs the statement.

See earlier reports: "Call for effective measures to protect human rights defenders and put an end to impunity," "CPJ calls Medvedev to put an end to unpunished murders of journalists," "Czechia holds a march against political murders in Russia."