MOSCOW — A well-known Russian rights activist was found slain execution-style on Wednesday, hours after being kidnapped in Chechnya — the latest in a series of brazen murders targeting critics of the Kremlin’s violent policies in the war- torn North Caucasus.
The daylight slaying of Natalya Estemirova follows the killings in recent years of reporters, lawyers and activists, and appeared to indicate that Russia remains a place where political murders are committed with impunity.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted quickly to the murder — in contrast to other recent killings — expressing his condolences, and ordering the country’s top investigative official “to take all necessary measures.”
The slaying came the same day as the release of a report Estemirova helped research that concluded there was enough evidence to demand that Russian officials, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, be called to account for crimes committed on their watch.
