Cherkasov: Markelov will be remembered due to outcome of cases against Budanov and "Cadet"

On December 22, about forty persons, including public figures, human rights defenders and intellectuals, came to the library named after Dostoevsky in Moscow to meet the authors of the book "Nobody But Me" dedicated to the deceased advocate Stanislav Markelov.

The authors of the book told the audience that Stanislav Markelov was one of the few advocates who succeeded in their efforts to bring militaries to justice for their crimes committed in Chechnya. Stanislav Markelov spoke with law enforcers the language they understood; and he will be ever remembered for his role in the criminal cases against Yuri Budanov and Sergey Lapin, aka "Cadet", said Alexander Cherkasov, the Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

Stanislav Markelov was shot dead on January 19, 2009, when he was returning from a press conference held at the "Independent Media Centre" located in Prechistenka Street and dedicated to early release of Colonel Yuri Budanov. Anastasia Baburova, a student of the Department of Journalism of the Moscow State University (MSU) and a journalist of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", who accompanied Stanislav Markelov, was wounded and later died in hospital.

In May 2011, the Moscow City Court sentenced Nikita Tikhonov and Evgenia Khasis, members of nationalist organizations, for killing Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova to life imprisonment and 18 years in a common-security colony, respectively.