On 19.01.2009 two activists were killed. One of them, Stanislaw Markelow was a famous political lawyer. The other victim is Anastasia Barburowa, journalist, who was walking togeter with Markelow.
They were both murdered in the centre of Moscow, shoot on the heads, probably by a professional killer.
Markelow was an active member of anarchistic and ecological movement in the 90ties. He became a lawyer and was propably the most controversial of russian lawyers. He defended many people, like anachirsts and victims of war in Czeczenia. He was also a lawyer of Anna Politkowska.
The murder might be connected with the famous case of Juri Budanov. In march 2000 Budanov raped and killed an 18years old czeczenian girl Elza Kungajeva. Markelov was the lawyer of her family. Budanov left the jail 4 days ago.
Anastasia was taking part in many actions and she was an anti-represion activist. She was working in AD organisation too. Last time she took part in defending of student hostel, where many people from Caucasian countries. She was present at ecological camp in Sasov, ESF and anticapitalist festival.
She died when she tried to safe Markelov.
More details
From Libcom thread:
Markelow was an activist with us in the early-mid nineties. He was part of the Anarchist Medical Brigade in 1993, he was an active member in our discussion group, he was a participant in many events and actions. He became a lawyer. His first big case was defending people from our movement (or around it) from terrorism and other charges. He eventually became the most controversial lawyer in Russia. He was famous for the case about Col. Budanov who raped and murdered a Chechen girl. Budanov was released 4 days ago. Markelov was returning from a press conference on that topic. He was shot in the head, execution style.
Nastya was probably killed because she tried to save Markelov. She was also shot.
Here is was our comrade from Russia has written about Nastya:
Anastasia "Skat" Baburova, 30.11.1983-19.01.2009
Our friend and comrade Skat was murdered today in Moscow, shot to head by an assassin.
Assassin was not after her - he was after advocate Stanislav Markelov, another good friend and comrade. We do not know who was there to kill Stas - it could be associates of some war criminals he put to prison, it could be connected to some corporate crimes, it could be Nazis, many of whom Stas put to prison as well. List of achievements of Stas is so long, that it will take a couple of days to gather all of them to a necrology - and list of his enemies is even longer. But we know for sure, that Nastya had a bad luck of being in a wrong place in wrong time. Assassin shot her to head as well, either to eliminate a witness, or in order to escape - some witnesses have stated that Nastya attempted to arrest assassin. Stas died in place, Nastya died in hospital few hours afterwards.
Nastya was a graduate of journalist faculty of Moscow State University. She worked a while in "Izvestiya", but left and worked as a freelancer. During last few months she wrote to critical paper "Novaya Gazeta", mostly about far right.
Nastya was an anarchist and was involved in numerous activist projects.
She was involved in anti-repression issues, such as solidarity actions in Moscow for repressed French activists Ivan and Bruno, and later last year in solidarity work for Tarnac 9. Last year she was actively involved in attempts to defense a dormitory in Yasniy Passage, inhabited by refugees from conflict regions of Caucasus, against violent takeover of the premises by UFSIN (Administration of Federal Service for Execution of Punishment, that is Russian federal prison administration).
Nastya was arrested in that action. Nastya also joined protest camp of Rainbow Keepers last summer in Sasovo of Ryazan region, and campaign against police brutality in spring of 2008. She also travelled to European social forum in Malmö in September 2008. She was co-organising alternative media section in Russian conference Anticapitalism-2008. Nastya also helped in work with latest issue #30 of Avtonom-journal. She joined Autonomous Action a day before she got murdered. Inside the movement, Nastya got well along with everyone.
Nastya was into physical sports such as jumping with a parachute and she was also well trained in martial arts. She never went around unarmed, but her knife was not a match against a gun.
Nastya was a positive person of exceptional spirit. She will be missed by parents, friends and comrades from all around Russia and Ukraine. She was from Sevastopol, and is likely to be buried there.