User:Mklambert/Natalia Skryl

Natalia Skryl (ca. 1973 – 9 October 2002),  an economic journalist for Nasha Vremia, in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, Russia, was murdered from massive blows to the head in Taganrog. At the time she was investigating an ongoing conflict at a metallurgical plant called Tagment.

Personal History
She was 29 years old at the time of her murder.

Career
Natalia Skryl was a economic journalist for Nasha Vremia in, who covered many stories that dealt with corruption and controversial big business. The story she was covering the time she was murdered was one of many she had written over the fight over management at the Taganrog plant.

Death
In the late evening on 9 March 2002, Natalia Skryl was attacked and murdered near her home in Taganrog. The cause of death was massive blunt force trauma to the head from a pipe or a similar object. Witnesses say the attacker was a young male with long black hair. The witnesses say they did not see the attacker take anything from the victim and evidence backs up this claim.

= Investigation = Investigators and co-workers believe that her death was the result of the investigative story about the ongoing conflict of the local metallurgical plant, Tagment. Her colleagues believe this resulted in her death because, just before her death, Natalia had spoken with them and said that she had obtained important, sensitive information about the metallurgical plant, and was planning to meet up with her source, which was on the night of her murder. However, she did not release the source's name to them. Robbery was ruled out at the crime scene because she was found with jewelry and a large sum of cash still on her. Days after her murder, the authorities released information that stated that they had three suspects in custody. These suspects were soon released,and the case took a downward turn.

Even though robbery was ruled out at the crime scene, due to the corrupt criminal justice system at the time, the motive behind her death was ruled as a robbery, and the case was closed. With the help of Skryl's mother, Nellya Skryl, and the CPJ, Natalia's case was reopened because officials felt that Natalia's case was not properly investigated. Since 2008, her case has been reopened and closed several times without any progress.

Impact
Russia is one of the top three most dangerous counties for journalist to report and work in, just behind Iraq and Algeria. Her family, co-workers and press freedom organization have expressed their frustration about the corrupt the legal system is in Russia and have been critical of officials who can be swayed to not fully investigate or prosecute suspected attackers of journalists. The system encourages journalists to self-censor themselves in order to avoid intimidation or worse. Under President Vladmir Putin, restrictions of censorship and attacks against the media continue to grow. According to the CPJ, since Putin took control of the country in 2002, there have been 26 journalist deaths in the country, but many more were imprisoned.

Reactions
In 2005 Nellya Skryl, Natalia Skryl's mother, took part in a CPJ conference where the topics of ineffective investigation on her daughters death, and along with other supporters signed a public declaration that called on Russian authorities to solve the unresolved murders of journalist in the country.

President Dmitry Medvedev has stated that he is detrmined to get to the bottom of these journalist murders, but little progress has been made.

Articles found

 * Rusnews
 * Le Monde 2
 * PEN
 * Second Editor Killed In 10 Days As Fear Grips Moscow
 * Death of the Russian Media
 * Testimony before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe