Russia’s Human Rights Activists - Who's Shielding the Killers? Russian human rights groups presented a shocking report detailing executions, arbitrary killings, torture, kidnappings and other atrocities in Chechnya and the Caucasus republics. And just a few hours later, Natalia Estemirova, a Russian human rights activist, was abducted from her office in Grozny and later found dead in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia. It was an execution-style killing. There's no trace of her murderers.   The case sparked dismay both in Russia and abroad. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev promised a thorough investigation into the murder and that those responsible would be punished. But many observers who are critical of the Kremlin don't think he'll follow up on that promise. Similar cases, such as the murder of prominent journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who also reported on the violence in Chechnya, have still not been solved. The human rights organization Memorial, which has long been a thorn in the side of the Kremlin, holds Moscow's man in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, responsible for Estemirova's murder. The group accuses the autocratic president of carrying out a brutal regime of violence and ruthlessly silencing any critics. But Moscow allows Kadyrov a free hand because he represents its interests in Chechnya. The group Memorial has since left the Caucasus republic, hoping to ensure the safety of its employees. What do you think: Russia's Human Rights Activists - Who's Shielding the Killers? Write to us at Quadriga@dw-world.de ---------------------------------------------------------- Our guests were: Daniel Brössler - following his time at university in both Munich and Washington, where he took courses in communication studies and politics, Mr Brössler attended journalism school in the Bavarian capital. Later, working as a freelance correspondent for the German news agency "DPA", he moved to Bratislava in Slovakia and then to Warsaw, Poland where he was b...