Just couple of hours ago in St. Petersburg has been assasinated Mrs. Galina Starovojtova, member of the State Duma. She and her assistant (who is seriously injured and is now in hospital) were shot by machine gun in the downtown of the city. No additional news are availiable for the moment.

Galina Starovojtova was one of the most prominent liberal politicians in Russia. Together with Andrey Sakharov she was one of the founding members if the Inter-regional Group in Supreme Soviet of USSR. Her actual position was president of Democratic Russia Federal Party.

Galina Starovojtova was member of the General Council of the Anti-militarist Radical Association. She also declared recently about her intention to join Radical Party. She was one of very few best friends of Radical Party in Russia, always participating in party's initiatives. She was among only five Russian MPs signed the appeal "We must overthrow the Belgrade regime". Mrs. Starovojtova was also known as an MP supporting the antiprohibitionist stand of Radical Party in the State Duma.

I think, this shocking event needs a prompt official reaction from side of both Radical Party and maybe also European Parliament. That is the first time in modern Russia when a politician of such a level is assasinated. Does it mean the start of mass anti-democratic terror in Russia?..