Academician Sakharov's widow Elena Bonner died

Elena Bonner comes from the family of the repressed. She worked as a front nurse during the Second World war and was severely wounded. She studied at the medical university after the war, and was expelled for her statements with regard to the "doctors' case". 

In 1960-s Elena started her activity as a human rights defender. She helped many dissidents, signed the founding document of the Moscow Helsinki Group. In 1987, after her husband Andrej Sakharov died, she established a fund named after him. In August 2008 she condemned Russia's actions in South Ossetia. In 2010 she signed the appeal of the opposition to the Russian citizens “Putin should leave”.