22:00, 22 July 2009

Circle of suspects of Natalia Estemirova's murder established

A high-ranking source in power agencies of the Southern Federal District has reported that the investigation had defined a circle of suspects of murdering Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Natalia Estemirova, 50, was kidnapped in the morning on July 15 in Grozny by a group of unidentified persons. In the evening of the same day her body with gunshot wounds in her head and breast was found near Gazi-Yurt village, Nazran District of Ingushetia.

According to a source in power structures, the murder will be surely solved.

"We just have no alternative. The circle of suspects is defined; they are examined for their possible involvement in the crime, and I think that in the near future we'll have some result," the "Gazeta.Ru" quotes the source as saying.

Among the main versions of the execution, two deserve being mentioned here. First of all, the murder was committed with the aim to discredit Ramzan Kadyrov. Secondly, the crime was an attempt to destabilize the situation in the region up to unleashing an armed conflict between Chechnya and Ingushetia.

Author: Alexander Baklanov

Source: CK correspondent