The murder Natalya Estemirova, head of Memorial, Russia's leading human rights group, has been condemned by world leaders and human rights organisations.

Ms Estemirova, a journalist and human rights activist who worked chiefly in Chechnya, was abducted from outside her home in the Chechen capital Grozny on Wednesday morning and forced into a waiting vehicle. Her body was discovered in a few hours later on the outskirts of the city of Nazran in neighbouring Ingushetia. She had been shot twice in the head.

Amnesty International condemned the murder and Human Rights Watch called on the Russian authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the murder. Russian president Dmitri Medvedev said he was deeply dismayed by the killing. The European Union released a statement saying that the murder of the well-known activist clearly demonstrates that human rights activist in Russia must be better protected.

Natalia Estemirova documented human rights abuses by Russian security forces in the troubled republic of Chechnya. She received numerous awards for her work including a prize from the European Parliament. She was the inaugural recipient of the Anna Politkovskaya Award, named for her friend and colleague who was murdered in Moscow in 2006.