At BuzzParadise we care a lot about the people we work with: bloggers. As a result, we are saddened to learn about the death of Magomed Yevloyev.

As some of you may know, he was a very important figure in the Russian blogosphere who spoke out against Russian authorities through his blog Ingushetiya.ru. He was a vocal critic of the police’s treatment of civilians and an opponent of the Ingushetia president, Murat Zyazikov, a former KGB officer. Zyazikov had tried to have the Ingushetiya website shut down and has been criticized of persecuting opposition activists.

This past Sunday, Yevloyev was said to have been arrested under Zyazikov’s orders. It has been reported that Yevloyev was accidentally shot in the head on his way to the police station and died shortly thereafter. An investigation of the events leading to his death has been launched.

Unfortunately, something many of us might take for granted (the freedom of speech) is not something that everyone can enjoy in Russia. But the following question does come to mind: Does free speech really exist, or is it something that we are made to believe we have?

Photo credits: Ingushetiya