Participants of march in memory of Markelov and Baburova report on deterioration of human rights situation in Russia

During the eight years passed since the murders of advocate Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, a journalist of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta", the human rights situation in Russia has deteriorated, and the authorities are engaged in aggressive propaganda of hatred and xenophobia through the media controlled by them. This opinion was voiced by participants of the action held in Moscow in memory of advocate Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening of January 19, Moscow hosted a march in memory of murdered lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist of "Novaya Gazeta" Anastasia Baburova. According to human rights defender Lev Ponomaryov, the action was attended by more than 500 people. During the march, seven men were detained, including an LGBT activist and a member of the movement "Sorok Sorokov". Later, five activists were released.

According to organizers of the march, it was attended by civil society activists, members of various human rights organizations and associations, "mostly people of left-wing views, people condemning fascism in all its forms."

Vladimir, a participant of the march, has said that the government uses the media under their control and contributes to formation of a climate of hatred and xenophobia among people of the country.

"Hatred is generated even by news, and the media create an image of evil of any dissent.' Anyone who is not with us is against us.' They talked about Ukraine and now about Syria. And the society swallows any information provided by the media in the form of an aggressive propaganda," said the participant of the memory action.

According to human rights defender Elena Sannikova, during eight years passed since the murder of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, the situation in Russia became even worse. "The number of political prisoners increased. The war in Syria in which we got involved, and the war in Ukraine tightened the political situation in the country. The situation with human rights also became worse. However, I look at those young people who come here, and it gives me hope. It seems to me that civil society in Russia is growing, though invisibly," said Elena Sannikova.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.