Three Years After Estemirova's Death, Supporters Say 'No Progress' In Case

Journalist and human rights activist Natalya Estemirova was abducted and murdered in 2009.

Three years after rights activist Natalya Estemirova was abducted and murdered in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, her supporters are accusing the Kremlin of sabotaging the investigation into her killing.

Oleg Orlov, the head of the rights group Memorial, told Ekho Moskvy radio there has been "no progress" in identifying the true culprits in the case, and said authorities in Moscow and Chechnya have sought to impede the investigation.

In a statement, the global watchdog Amnesty International said it believed Russian authorities had no intention of finding those responsible for the murder.

Estemirova, an activist with Memorial, was abducted and shot dead on July 15, 2009.

She was investigating alleged human rights abuses by police loyal to Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov at the time of her death.

Based on reporting by AFP and echo.msk.ru