Natalya Estemirova

Natalya Estemirova
Наталья Эстемирова
Posthumous portrait of Estemirova by Chechen painter Asya Umarova
Born(1958-02-28)28 February 1958
Died15 July 2009(2009-07-15) (aged 51)
Cause of deathAssassination
NationalityRussian
Alma materGrozny University
Occupation(s)Human rights activist, journalist, teacher
Board member ofMemorial (society)
Awards

Natalya Khusainovna Estemirova (Russian: Наталья Хусаиновна Эстемирова; 28 February 1958 – 15 July 2009) was a Russian human rights activist and board member of the Russian human rights organization Memorial. Estemirova was abducted by unknown persons on 15 July 2009 around 8:30 a.m. from her home in Grozny, Chechnya, as she was working on "extremely sensitive" cases of human rights abuses in Chechnya.[1] Two witnesses reported they saw Estemirova being pushed into a car shouting that she was being abducted. Her remains were found with bullet wounds in the head and chest area at 4:30 p.m. in woodland 100 metres (330 ft) away from the federal road "Kavkaz" near the village of Gazi-Yurt, Ingushetia.[2]