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As „a fight of David versus Goliath” the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) describes the courageous fight of the head of the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, Oleg Orlov, with the Chechnyan President, Ramzan Kadyrov. „Like David, who does not fight according to the rules of the one thought to be stronger, and wins, the staff of Memorial in their daily work break the rules made by the government”, says the GfbV consultant for the states of the Russian Federation, Sarah Reinke (Berlin). „Their moral victory is assured: they are uncovering violations of human rights, documenting crimes and naming suspected criminals.”
On Monday the trial for libel opens in Moscow against Orlov on the grounds of his accusation of Kadyrov of the murder of the Memorial colleague Natalya Estemirova. The human rights activist had said: „We do not know if he gave the order himself or if it was one of his close associates who was doing him a favour.” Orlov had at the same time pointed out that Kadyrov was always criticising the colleagues of Memorial and above all described Natalya Estemirova as his „personal enemy”.
„The trial against Orlov can be the acid test for the independence of Russian justice for it draws the attention in the case of Estemirova’s murder to the Chechnyan powerholders”, hopes Reinke. „If the procedure serves to light up the background to the crime then it will be a big success for the defenders of human rights in Russia and Chechnya.”
The investigations in the Estemirova case have so far made no progress. The 50-year old human rights activist was abducted on 15th July 2009 in Grosny and hours later found murdered in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia. She is one of several colleagues of Memorial who have been the victims of crimes of violence which have never been cleared up.
Sarah Reinke can give further information at s.reinke@gfbv.de
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