I must admit that the killing is sad and given that he was a lawyer working on human rights cases (the one in particular I think was successful in that he got jailed, albeit later released) is always going to get press attention.
I think what the western press and people forget is that it isn't just human rights lawyers and journalists who criticise the government that get murdered. They are just the most high profile. There have been quite a few lawyers murdered for running cases against businessmen not connected with the Kremlin, I'd say more so. Also the statistics that X number of journalists have been killed since Putin came to power is a ridiculous statistic. All it says is that being a journalist in Russia is risky. It does not mean Putin has ordered the murders as is insinuated.
Back to this guy Markelov. Yes he did good work. Reading about Budonov he is an evil twisted guy who, did get tried and imprisoned. You know if it was embarrasing to Putin he could of been released or not tried by his order but wasn't.
Now he must have friend somewhere but look at it this way. Markelov got him put away. He is released and upset, being who he is he knows people or has money to pay a hitman (Not hard in Russia). Due to the case they know where Markelov is and gun him down. Notice they only went for him. The woman was hurt trying to grapple with the gunman (this to me suggests not a professional KGB style hit but a revenge style paid for killer). So lets stop the Putin ordered it.
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