September 18, 2025

Murderer Released or No?


Murderer Released or No?
Jail cell. The Russian Life files.

On September 13, Russian government news outlets began reporting that neo-nazi Yevgenia Khasis, convicted for the infamous murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova, was released. However, the veracity of the reports came into question after independent media found that the murderer may still be in prison.

On January 19, 2009, 34-year-old Markelov and 25-year-old Baburova were shot in central Moscow. The then-29-year-old Nikita Tikhonov and 24-year-old Evgenia Khasis were detained for the murder. The couple were part of the ultranationalist group BORN ("Fighting Organization of Russian Nationalists"). In 2011, Tikhonov was sentenced to life in prison. Khasis received an 18-year sentence, which was later reduced to 17 years. In 2015, Ilya Goryachev, another BORN leader, was also sentenced to life in prison for organizing the murders of Bubarova and Markelov, among other crimes.

Citing court documents, state-run RIA Novosti broke the news that Evgenia Khasis had been released from a Mordovian women's penal colony after 16 years in prison. The outlet said that the far-right activist was put on unsupervised probation at the end of August. TASS, another state news agency, said law enforcement confirmed her release. However, Khasis' lawyer, Alexei Pershin, told TASS that he did not know whether his client was free, but was aware that her sentence had run its course.

Mediazona, an independent media outlet, claimed that the interpretation of the court documents was erroneous. According to Russian law, the penitentiary system must file for prisoners' administrative supervision at least two months before their release. Therefore, RIA Novosti likely misinterpreted the lawsuit that the Mordavian Penal Colony filed to establish unsupervised probation for Khasis as her release from prison. Pershin told Mediazona that he found out about his client's alleged release through "Telegram channels." The newspaper estimated that the ultranationalist activist will likely be released in November 2025.

Dmitry Arganovsky, another lawyer representing Khasis, later told Mediazona and TASS that his client is still in prison. RIA Novosti later published that Khasis is still in prison, citing law enforcement.

In 2024, Khasis petitioned to be sent to Russia's war in Ukraine as a soldier.

You Might Also Like

Economy in Crisis?
  • September 13, 2025

Economy in Crisis?

A recent report summarized the potentially perilous state of the Russian economy.
Hourly Taskmaster Rise
  • September 07, 2025

Hourly Taskmaster Rise

Russians looking to get a little extra cash on the side can become "specific assistants." And the marketplace is booming.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955