Russian lawmaker shot dead in central Moscow
Print Edition
RUSSIA’S top investigative body said yesterday it is looking into several possible motives for the killing of prominent opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, including an attempt to destabilize the state, Islamic extremism, the Ukraine conflict and his personal life.
A statement from the body, the Investigative Committee, did not address the possibility seen as likely by many of Nemtsov’s supporters — that he was killed for being one of President Vladimir Putin’s most adamant and visible critics.
The 55-year-old was gunned down close to midnight on Friday as he walked on a bridge near the Kremlin with a female companion. The killing came just hours after a radio interview in which he denounced Putin’s “mad, aggressive” policies and the day before he was to help lead a rally protesting against Russia’s actions in the Ukraine crisis and the economic crisis at home.
After his death, organizers canceled the rally and instead called for a demonstration to mourn him today in central Moscow.
The city gave quick approval for that gathering, in contrast to its usual slow and grudging permission for opposition rallies.
The Investigative Committee said it is looking into whether Nemtsov had been killed as a “sacrificial victim for those who do not shun any method for achieving their political goals,” a suggestion echoing the comments by Putin’s spokesman and other Russian politicians that the attack was a “provocation” against the state.
It also said it was considering whether there was “personal enmity” toward him in his domestic life.
TV and media outlets yesterday gave considerable attention to Nemtsov’s companion, identifying her as a Ukrainian model that 30 years his junior and showing photos of her in alluring poses. The Investigative Committee said the pair were headed for Nemtsov’s apartment.
The statement also said it is investigating whether the killing was connected to the Ukraine conflict, where separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since April, or whether there was a connection to Islamic extremism.
Through the morning, hundreds of people went to the site of Nemtsov’s death to lay flowers.
The politician was working on a report presenting evidence that he believed proved Russia’s direct involvement in the separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies backing the rebels with troops and sophisticated weapons.
Putin yesterday promised Nemtsov’s mother that everything will be done to find and punish her son’s killers, the Kremlin said.
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