| Grigory
Yavlinsky:
He was a bright politician who was well known all over Russia.
He had his own point of view. There are a few people like him
in Russia.
His death is a huge tragedy for his next of kin. We express our
deepest condolences to his family.
This murder is obviously politically motivated. The timing of
this incident corroborates this view: on the threshold of [parliamentary]
elections and on the threshold of the President's speech in parliament.
This murder demonstrates that criminal structures are encroaching
upon any figures and believe they can attack the state structure.
This is a form of political terror against the state authorities
in Russia. Criminal structures are testing out in different ways
and means the extent of their invulnerability and impunity. Criminals
would like to scare off Russian politicians and take increasingly
more influential positions not only in the economy, but in society
too. It is likely that some political forces
Stand behind the criminal forces.
The murder of Sergei Yushenkov can be ranked at the same level
as the murders of public and political figures, journalists, deputies
and governor: Galina Starovoitova, Vlad Listyev, Dmitrii Kholodov.
None of the murders have been solved.
All these events cause not only grief and sorrow to the majority
in the country, but also worry and concern about all developments
in Russia in the near future.
Sergei
Ivanenko:
First of all I would like to express condolences to the relatives
and next-of-kin of Sergei Nikolayevich, who has grandchildren.
Sergei Nikolayevich was a democrat of the first wave, a man who
created the framework for democracy in Russia, a human being of
exceptional honesty and decency.
I think that everybody who is not indifferent to the fate of
freedom and democracy in Russia should demand from the authorities
and the President an investigation of at least one political crime,
to find the perpetrators of the murder and people who ordered
this murder. If this does not happen, unfortunately such tragedies
will be repeated.
The murder was political and demonstrative. I think that the
killer chose such a method on purpose.
The question is whether we shall be able to protect the democratic
gains our country has achieved, while also committing mistakes.
If people at such a level are murdered, what can we say about
the security of ordinary citizens then, how should they feel?
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