Larisa Yudina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Larisa Yudina was a journalist and editor of the opposition newspaper, Sovietskaya Kalmykia Sevodnya (Soviet Kalmykia Today), was found dead on 8 June 1998, with multiple knife wounds and a fractured skull in the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, Elista.

Members of the liberal Yabloko party to which she belonged, and human rights advocates maintain that the killing was politically motivated. Prior to her death, she had published articles accusing the Kalmykian President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, of corruption. Three men were convicted in connection with the murder, but the names of those who ordered the killing remain unknown.

Her newspaper was banned in Elista. Therefore, she would have it printed elsewhere and personally bring it in her car to Elista, where it could be distributed. It was during one of these trips that she was murdered. Two aids of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov confessed to the murder and were imprisoned. However, there has been no proof that Kirsan himself ordered the crime.