Memorial suspended its activities in the volatile republic in July following the murder of human rights activist Natalya Estemirova, citing then a growing risk to its staff for the decision. The Director of “Memorial” Oleg Orlov said speaking at a press conference in the Parliament of Europe:
“We state today that we are resuming our activities in full volume on the territory of Chechnya. This uneasy decision was made as a result of consultations with our staff in the North Caucasus as well as with a large group of Russian and international human rights organizations.”
Estemirova, a leading Memorial researcher in Chechnya, was abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya’s capital, on July 15 and found shot dead in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia later the same day.
Her murder, which sparked international outrage, was followed three weeks later by the killings of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, who both worked for a Chechen charity.