Two Russian Nationalists Jailed Over Moscow Murders
5/6/2011 6:24 AM ET
(RTTNews) - A court in Russia has sentenced two Russian nationalists to lengthy prison terms over the deaths of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova in 2009, reports said on Friday.
Nikita Tikhonov, who was found guilty of shooting Markelov and Baburova in central Moscow in January 2009, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tikhonov's companion Yevgenia Khasis was jailed for 18 years for assisting him in the murders.
Markelov and Baburova were both employees of the Opposition Novaya Gazeta newspaper which specializes in human rights cases. A leading lawyer Markelov had incensed nationalists by defending Chechens who were victims of alleged human rights violations by Russian forces.
Last week the trial court pronounced the duo guilty after a Moscow jury had established their involvement in the shocking incident that made headlines.
During the trial, Prosecutors had said Tikhonov was the one who fired at the victims while Khasis tailed them as they proceeded to a Moscow metro station after attending a news conference
Following the arrest of Tikhonov and Khasis in November 2009, authorities had accused them of being members of Russian National Unity (RNU), proscribed by Moscow. However, this elicited a firm rebuttal of charges from RNU which said the duo had never been associated with it.
Tikhonov and Khasis have denied the charges and defense lawyers said they will approach the European Court of Human Rights.
The shocking murders committed in broad daylight had led to accusations from the international community that Kremlin was not doing enough to rein in criminal elements
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