Events, devoted to the anniversary of death of lawyer and human rights activist Stanislav Markerlov and journalist Anastasia Baburova took place in Moscow on January, 19. More than half a thousand people started their march from Petrovsky Avenue. The people were accompanied by the police, who did not allow them to go on the traffic area and forced them to march on the pavement.

When at 8 p.m. people reached Griboedov memorial on Chitoprudnyj Avenue, chanting “Fascists Kill, Powers Assist!“ the demonstration finished and the picket was started. Many people joined the event there – the general number was more than a thousand people. They were carrying portraits of Stanislav Markelov, Anastasia Baburova, Anna Politkovskaya, Yury Schekochikhin, Natalia Estimirova and posters ”No to Political Murders!”, “Russians against Fascism!”, “They Disgrace Hero-City!”, ”Let’s Stop the Nicest Terror!”.

The picket was attended by many anti-fascist organizations and human rights activists. Almost all members of Jabloko Party, Gregory Javlinsky, Sergey Mitrokhin, Sergey Kovalev, Galina Mikhaleva took part in the demonstration. In a statement, published the same day, the Party marked that “only the state and the country for whom Stanislaw Marcelo and Anastasia Baburova, Anna Politkovskaya, Farid Babaev, Natalia Estimirova are heroes, and their death is a tragedy, which must not be repeated, are able to save the country and achieve worthy life for the citizens”.

They also expressed concern about the investigation of the Markelov and Baburova’s case, saying “Law enforcement agencies’ work style affords ground to fear that the case of Markelov and Baburova will “ruin” in the court as it happened with that of Anna Politkovskaya”.

During the picket near two metal detectors, installed for the entrance to the picket, several explosions similar to the sounds of smoke pellets came and small clouds of smoke appeared in the air. Scuffle followed. It was impossible to find out what happened. According to different data, police and OMON detained from 20 to 60 participants which were taken to OVD Tverskoe.

As it was stated later by the Chief of the Department of Information and Public Relations of Moscow GUVD Viktor Birukov to Interfax Agency, “The organizers of the event conformed with the Moscow Government only two pickets, but some participants, traveling from Petrovsky Avenue where the first picket took place, to Griboedov Memorial at Chistye Prudy Avenue where on 8 p.m. the second picket started, tried to provoke the police in spite of the fact that they had been admonished about the responsibility for observing laws”. In his words, “Police were laid under a necessity to detain round 20 citizens for violation of law”.