List of Famous people who died in 2001

Abu Ali Mustafa, the kunya of Mustafa Alhaj also known as Mustafa Ali Zibri, was the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) from July 2000 until he was assassinated by Israeli forces in a targeted killing on 27 August 2001. Mustafa was succeeded as Secretary General by Ahmad Saadat, and the PFLP subsequently renamed their armed wing in the Palestinian territories the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades.

Leon Russell Wilkeson was the bassist of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2001.

Ibnu Sutowo was an Indonesian army officer, Cabinet Minister and former head of the Indonesian oil and gas producer Pertamina.

Jean Richard was a French actor, comedian, and circus entrepreneur. He is best remembered for his role as Georges Simenon's Maigret in the eponymous French television series, which he played for more than twenty years, and for his circus activities.

Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was the daughter of King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, and sister of King Dipendra and Prince Nirajan.

Fredy Reyna was a Venezuelan musician, arranger and performer, regarded as the undisputed master of the Venezuelan cuatro, which he elevated to the level of a concert instrument, and one of his country's most important cultural figures in the 20th century.

Ayhan Şahenk was a Turkish businessman and founder of the Doğuş Group.

Otto Schulmeister was an Austrian journalist, who was described as the doyen of Austrian journalism. He was editor-in-chief of Die Presse from 1961 to 1976 and its publisher from 1976 to 1989. He was the father of former ORF correspondent Paul Schulmeister, and economist Stephan Schulmeister. Formerly a NSDAP member, it was revealed in 2009 that he worked for the CIA from the 1960s.

Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm was a member of the princely House of Salm-Salm. Through her marriage to Archduke Hubert Salvator of Austria, Rosemary was a member of the Tuscan line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Fuku Akino was a Japanese painter. She was born in Futamata, Iwata-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture. She became known by her paintings of Indian themes, landscapes and peoples.