Freedom House Urges Thorough Investigation of Yevloyev Killing

Freedom House strongly denounces the murder of Magomed Yevloyev, a leading opponent of Ingushetia's Kremlin-backed leader Murat Zyazikov and the owner of ingushetiya.ru, the opposition website. Freedom House calls on the Russian leadership, Federal Prosecutor General's Office, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Ingushetia and the Russian State Duma to conduct an open, thorough and unbiased investigation into Yevloyev's death.

On Sunday, Yevloyev was detained by Ingushetia's Interior Ministry authorities upon his arrival at Nazran airport. Authorities said he was shot in the head "by accident" while in their custody, His body was discarded on a roadside near Nazran. Following Yevloyev's death, the Investigative Committee opened an investigation citing Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation-"death caused by recklessness."

"Yevloyev's killing indicates a growing impunity by security forces against opposition political figures and civil society in the Russian North Caucasus," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director. "The Russian authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into this high profile murder to prevent a further destabilization of the region."

Russia is ranked Not Free in the 2008 edition of Freedom in the World, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and in the 2008 version of Freedom of the Press.

For more information on Russia, visit:

Freedom in the World 2008: Russia
Freedom of the Press 2008: RussiaNations in Transit 2008: Russia

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Russia since 1990.

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