Khasis admitted her guilt in the murder of lawyer Markelov for the first time

Evgenia Khasis, who served time in the case of the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, admitted in an interview with Ksenia Sobchak that she was an accomplice in the lawyer's murder, although she completely denied the charge in court. 

As the " Caucasian Knot " reported, Evgenia Khasis, convicted in the murder of lawyer  Stanislav Markelov  and journalist Anastasia Baburova at the end of November, was released from prison today, having served her full sentence.  

Ksenia Sobchak published a three-hour interview with Evgenia Khasis on her YouTube channel today. The journalist asked Khasis whether she now pleads guilty to the murders of Markelov and Baburova, given that she can no longer be convicted of the crime again. 

"I plead guilty to complicity in the murder of Stanislav Markelov. According to the court's verdict, I am not guilty of the murder of Anastasia Baburova," Khasis said. 

Later in the conversation, she explained her motives for complicity in the crime, without ever expressing regret or remorse for the murder of the lawyer. 

"Markelov wasn't just a lawyer. He was a lawyer and a public figure, quite vocal at the time, vocal about his ideological views. He was a prominent representative of the so-called liberal movement of the time. And the topics Markelov chose for himself were challenging; they touched on topics that were sensitive for a large part of society, particularly regarding the Chechen campaign," Khasis stated.

She explained that at that time, “the Chechen campaign was not as distant for us as it is now.” 

"Markelov is one of the, shall we say, spokesmen for the idea that the Russian army allegedly committed outrageous acts, war crimes, on the territory of the Chechen Republic during the Chechen campaign. In modern parlance, Markelov openly discredited the actions of the Russian army during the Chechen campaign (...) For people with my views, and for many people of my generation in general, he crossed the line here; he kind of asked for it," Khasis explained. 

Sobchak brought up the case of Yuri Budanov, recalling that Stanislav Markelov had defended, among other things, the interests of the relatives of Elza Kungayeva, whom he had kidnapped and murdered. Khasis confirmed that her lawyer's involvement in the case "hurt" her. 

"Budanov didn't admit he committed a war crime; he was carrying out a combat mission, defending his homeland. And Budanov's position, in my view, is absolutely clear and well-articulated. Why should I, as a patriot, question the words of a combat colonel who spends day and night on the front lines? Why should I believe Markelov, who sits on the couch drinking coffee, and listen to his opinion rather than that of Colonel Budanov?" Khasis argues. 

She added that she regrets the death of Anastasia Baburova. "I sincerely feel deep sorrow for her and her family. She should not have fallen victim that day," Khasis said.