The identity of the murderer of human rights activist Natalya Estemirova has been established and the individual who arranged her murder will soon be found, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.
"Investigations are currently underway of not only identifying the hit man who is already on a wanted list, but also the individual who ordered this terrible crime," Medvedev told journalists during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Estemirova, a leading researcher for the Memorial human rights group in Chechnya, was abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya's capital, on July 15, 2009, and found shot dead in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia later the same day. In February 2010, investigators said they had identified the suspect, but no arrests were made so far.
"It's improper to say that investigations are not continuing, the investigation is going full speed ahead," Medvedev said, adding: "There are never any quick results in cases like this unless you catch them red-handed...the individual who carried out the murder has been established and identified."
Merkel assured the journalists that she had talked with Medvedev about the murder of Estemirova and understood that investigations were underway.
"For the sense of legal security it's important that such public cases end in success. We also understand that this is not easy," Merkel said.
YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (RIA Novosti)
