On July 15, Philip J. Crowley, the Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Public Affairs at U.S. Department of State, published a message that concerns the murder of Natalya Estemirova still isn’t solved.

Here is the message:

Today we honor the life and work of Natalya Estemirova, a brave [Chechen] human rights defender and journalist, who was abducted and murdered in the North Caucasus region of Russia on July 15, 2009.

Ms. Estemirova devoted her career to bringing awareness and pressing for accountability for human rights abuses, particularly in Chechnya. The international community justifiably gave Ms. Estemirova a number of awards for her important work. A year has passed since her tragic death, yet those responsible for this horrible crime have yet to be brought to justice. We will continue to shine the spotlight on this case as part of our efforts to protect the brave journalists and civil society activists across the globe who, like Natalya, speak out against abuses and work to secure fundamental freedoms for their fellow citizens.

15.07.2010 – Washington DC

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs