Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has promised to push through new laws to give human rights activists more support.

At a meeting in the Kremlin he reassured representatives of non-governmental organizations he would do more to encourage ""not for profit - socially oriented" groups by making them eligible for direct state support. He said: "Our mutual task is to support the NGOs in the community and support both the engagement of talented people in this sector and sponsoring by benefactors."

However there has been no evidence so far of any change in policy. Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Kremlin council to promote civil society and human rights, said an end to the murders of activists and business people was "nowhere in sight."