Moscow authorities prohibit meeting in memory of Markelov and Barburova

A planned meeting in memory of the murdered human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Barburova has been banned by the Moscow Mayor’s Office.  According to Lev Ponomarev, Leader of the movement “For Human Rights”, the reason given for refusing to allow the meeting was that the timeframe for submitting the application had not been kept. This is denied by the Committee of 19 January and Lev Ponomarev says that the decision will be appealed in the court.

It is known that the memorial gathering is to be attended by relatives and friends of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Barburova, as well as human rights groups. The Committee is adamant that there will be memorial rally.

On 19 January 2009 Stanislav Markelov was gunned down in the middle of Moscow. Anastasia Barburova, who was returning with him from a press conference about the release of Yury Budanov, ex-army colonel and murderer of a Chechen young woman, was also shot and died that evening of her wounds.  Stanislav had two young children, Nastya, who was from Sevastopol, was 25 and still finishing her journalist studies.

At the beginning of November two Russian nationalists were arrested and charged with their murder.