Investigators Name Suspect in Murder of Moscow Judge

On 24 March 2011, the Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor’s Office (SKP) of the Russian Federation named a suspect in last April’s murder of Moscow City Court Judge Eduard Chuvashov. According to an SKP spokesman, 28-year old Muscovite Alexei Korshunov is alleged to have committed the murder in revenge for sentences levied against his Nazi skinhead comrades.

The investigation had placed Korshunov – who is in hiding – on a wanted list while a court ordered his detention. He is charged under Article 295 of the Criminal Code: making an attempt on the life of a judge with the intent of obstructing official activity or as retribution for such activity.

After a February 2010 ruling against the far-right "White Wolves" group, a video was posted on the Internet placing Chuvashov on a list of "enemies of the people" and calling for his death. During the trial process, Chuvashov had likened the group's members to "black sheep" amongst Russians.

Korshunov is reportedly a member of OB-88, a neo-Nazi group whose members include suspects in other high-profile murders of Russian left-wing activists and officials. Among them are Alexei Bormot and Alexander Parinov, who are wanted in connection with the 2006 murder of anti-fascist activist Alexander Riukhin. Nikita Tikhonov, the chief suspect in the December 2009 murders of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, is also a member.

Some evidence points to Korshunov’s involvement in the murders of Markelov and Baburova, a case SOVA has closely followed. It is worth noting that while Tikhonov is known to have kept track of the movements of Markelov and Baburova, a man resembling Korshunov was photographed at the press center that became the crime scene during a conference attended by Markelov weeks before his killing. It is also alleged that Korshunov acted as a lookout, giving the signal to shoot Markelov.