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

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. 
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.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
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.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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