Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov died in the center of Moscow after he was shot at four times. A number of leading figures from all sides of political spectrum called his murder a "provocation".
01 March 2015
The driver of the silver-colored VAZ-2102 who was wanted by police in connection with the murder of Boris Nemtsov has been detained by police in Zelenograd, Moscow’s suburb, Life News reported. The media talked to the driver on the phone and he claimed he did not commit the crime.
The investigation into Boris Nemtsov’s murder should be under Russia’s jurisdiction, the leader of France’s far-right National Front (FN), Marine Le Pen, told France 3 TV channel. She added that that were no reasons for mistrust.
“I trust the Russian justice, there is no reason not to,” she said, adding that “we must be cautious and allow the judges and police officers to do their job.”
The members of the mourning march reached the route’s final destination point at the Maliy Moskvoretsky Bridge after 5 pm Moscow time.
Ukrainian MP Aleksandr Goncharenko has been detained at the mourning march for slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov in Moscow, Interfax reported, citing security officials. Police have not given any reason for the detention, but Interfax reported citing sources that Goncharenko could be questioned in connection with the Odessa massacre on May 2, 2014.
Mourners reach bridge where #Nemtsov was killed http://t.co/Blg0CDv9erpic.twitter.com/8DPWTl62fk
— RT (@RT_com) March 1, 2015
Russia’s Investigative Committee has offered 3 mln rubles ($48,000) to anyone able to provide valuable information on the murder of Nemtsov, the committee’s press service has announced. Investigators promise anonymity to potential informants.
A witness to Nemtsov’s murder has described the killer to police.
“We are looking for a man 170-175 cm (5 foot, 7 inches) high, of regular physique, dark cropped hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a brown sweater,” a police source told LifeNews.
The same source said the car the killer used was a silver-colored VAZ-21102, with North Ossetia number plates.
Demonstrators have started moving in the direction of the Nemtsov murder scene. The rally participants are marching in silence.
— Lida Vasilevskaya (@Vasilevskaya_RT) March 1, 2015
Those in the front row are holding a banner reading, “Heroes don’t die and these bullets target each of us. ”
The procession spans several hundred meters, Tass reports.
Around 7,000 people are so far taking part in the rally, according to the Moscow police, cited by RIA Novosti.
People in Moscow are gathering for a rally in commemoration of the slain opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. Demonstrators will march through the center of Moscow, crossing the bridge near the Kremlin, where the politician was shot dead.
It’s expected that around 50,000 people could take part.
28 February 2015
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked and saddened” to learn of Nemtsov’s murder. “The secretary-general notes that an investigation into this murder has been announced, and he expects the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly,” a spokesman for the secretary-general said in a statement. “[Ban] wishes to express his deepest condolences to Mr. Nemtsov’s family, friends and supporters.”
Irina Khakamada, a former party colleague of Boris Nemtsov through the 1990s and early 2000s has chipped in with her thoughts about his murder.
“I have three potential theories for who was behind his death. The first is out-of-control extremists, who thought that they could do anything. The second, the more radical elements within the government structure, who are sending a message to Putin that they do not want the conflict with Ukraine to end, and the third is people who want destabilize Russia,” she told Snob magazine.
Political commentator Anna van Densky thinks Nemtsov's murder was designed to provoke political tensions, and that it's better for all sides to avoid falling for that trap.
A public tribute, attended by about a dozen people, has been held for Nemtsov in Nizhny Novgorod, where he studied, and which he headed as the regional governor in the mid-1990s. Bouquets of flowers have been laid at his university and home address.
Цветы, свечки, портреты памяти Бориса Немцова в Нижнем Новгороде к его дому: ул. Агрономическая 134 #Немцов#Nemtsovpic.twitter.com/bSDEAjy489
— Дмитрий Митрохин (@Dmitry_Mitrohin) February 28, 2015
Police have interviewed the owner of the Lada Priora, which was earlier identified as the possible getaway vehicle for Nemtsov's murderer, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
The owner of the car said he had parked it in central Moscow on Saturday afternoon, and had nothing to do with the hit.
The car that carried the assassins of Boris Nemtsov has reportedly been found by police, according to REN TV news channel. The vehicle was found not far from the place where the opposition leader was killed. Now the officers are investigating the car.
The vehicle was allegedly identified as a Lada Priora. It carries license plates from Ingushetia, a republic of Russia in the North Caucasus region.
Image of car purported to have carried Nemtsov's murderers has Ingush plates. pic.twitter.com/bLPSRrc6He
— Andrew Roth (@ARothNYT) February 28, 2015
WATCH LIVE: Mourners lay flowers at site where Boris #Nemtsov was killed in Moscow http://t.co/FEyCGvNw8apic.twitter.com/w3Qi3jAxIq
— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2015
Boris Nemtsov will be buried at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow on March 3.
#ярославль#Yaroslavl#Немцов by dan__boy http://t.co/cCzasuWnfBpic.twitter.com/7hrB5riZHp
— Фото из Ярославля (@instaYaroslavl) February 28, 2015
An opposition march to commemorate Nemtsov has been sanctioned by the Moscow mayor's office, opposition figure Leonid Volkov tweeted. He said the march would go from Kitay-Gorod metro station to the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, where the politician was killed.
One of the possible motives behind Nemtsov’s killing could be to destabilize the political situation in Russia, the Investigative Committee said.
The assassination of Boris Nemtsov may have possible links to Ukraine events as well as Islamist extremist attacks, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
The investigation into Nemtsov’s assassination is a matter of high priority, but one shouldn’t interfere with it and wait, said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Powerful photo of 1990s reformer Anatoly Chubais on his knees at the scene of Nemtsov's murder today: pic.twitter.com/RGTbdSlR2S
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) February 28, 2015
Investigators have information that Boris Nemtsov received threats in connection with his position on the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, said Vladimir Markin, the spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee.
Russian authorities will do everything to solve Nemtsov’s murder and ensure the perpetrators are punished, said Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko.
Another scene from the spot now where Nemtsov was shot and killed. RT @no_trace: Люди несут цветы pic.twitter.com/zp7HFhSoIl
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) February 28, 2015
At least 200 people have gathered at Vasilyevsky Spusk in central Moscow, on a bridge leading to Red Square, where Nemtsov was killed, according to RIA Novosti. Flowers and a portrait of Nemtsov can be seen on the bridge.
Boris Nemtsov will be buried in Moscow, Aleksandr Kotusov, the former press secretary of the opposition leader, told Tass news agency.
"[Like] many people in Russia, we are shocked by the cold-blooded murder of a prominent opposition leader on the streets of Moscow. Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.
According to the German FM, in Nemtsov Russia has lost “an experienced politician who was willing to take responsibility for his country.”
The crowd is only getting bigger as Russia mourns the death of #Nemtsovpic.twitter.com/W2pDiGXD5f
— Paige Reynolds (@Paige_Reynolds_) February 28, 2015
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “shocked” by the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, a statement from the Bundestag said. Merkel honored “the courage of the former deputy prime minister and a vocal critic of the government.”
Merkel also called upon Russian President Vladimir Putin to ensure that the murder is investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Mourners lay flowers at scene of Nemtsov killing: http://t.co/GDJw0rknDZpic.twitter.com/KLKYOkVfPO
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) February 28, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the heads of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service to create an investigative group and to put the case under their personal supervision, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
People in Moscow are bringing flowers to pay tribute to Boris Nemtsov near the Kremlin, where the Russian opposition leader was shot dead.
In the last couple of hours before the deadly shooting, Nemtsov had dinner at a restaurant inside GUM, the famous department store on Red Square, with the woman he was with when he was shot. She was later identified by police as Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, 23.
According to Duritskaya, the two then went for a walk at about 23:00 Moscow time (20:00 GMT).
France’s president, Francois Hollande, has denounced Nemtsov’s murder. “Boris Nemtsov was a courageous and tireless defender of democracy and a fierce fighter against corruption,” Hollande said in a statement.
Sergey Mironov, the leader of Fair Russia political party, said that the murder of Boris Nemtsov is a provocation from those who want to destabilize the situation in Russia.
“This assassination is a clear provocation. It was organized and made by those who want to destabilize the situation in Russia,” Mironov said.
Nemtsov was threatened in social media several months ago, his aide in the State Duma, Olga Vakhrina said.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev believes that the purpose of the assassination of Boris Nemtsov is to destabilize the situation in Russia.
“What happened on Moskvoretsky Bridge - the assassination of Boris Nemtsov – is an attempt to push the situation to complication, maybe to destabilize the situation in the country…”
More journalists than mourners at site of Nemtsov's assassination pic.twitter.com/DSkd8k6n4r
— Jake Rudnitsky (@Rudnit) February 28, 2015
Meanwhile, people in Kiev are taking flowers to the Russian Embassy in Ukraine to commemorate Boris Nemtsov. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the opposition leader “a bridge” between Kiev and Moscow.
A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said it was “shocked and saddened by news” of Nemtsov death.
“We deplore this criminal act. Those responsible must be brought to justice. We will continue to follow the situation closely.”
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper sad he "was shocked and saddened to learn of the murder in Moscow this evening of leading Russian opposition figure and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov.”
“Mr. Nemtsov will be remembered as a fearless advocate of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Russia,” he said.
People in the Russian city of Yaroslavl are bringing flowers to the house where Boris Nemtsov had lived for the last 2 years.
“These crimes are a provocation to society. The law enforcement agencies should do everything to find the perpetrators of such an awful crime,” said the speaker of the regional parliament Mikhail Borovitsky.
Mourners commemorate Boris Nemtsov in Moscow
People will gather to mourn the politician in the city of Yaroslavl, where Nemtsov served as a deputy in the regional parliament, at 12pm on Saturday in front of City Hall.
"Boris received anonymous threats on social media from time to time, but he did not pay attention,” Nemtsov’s colleague, opposition leader Ilya Yashin, recalled after the killing. “Boris was afraid, he was saying that he was under threat, but he always believed that no matter what security he had, if [somebody] wanted to kill him, they would.”
According to Yashin, the murder was a contract killing and “politically motivated.”
“He had no personal foes linked to his private life,” he added.
Police are keep looking for either a white Ford Focus or a Ford Mondeo, according to RIA Novosti.
“Several cars that have been suspected have been cleared, their involvement has not been confirmed,” a source told the news agency.
Police have checked all three white cars caught on CCTV close to the scene of the murder. None of them were related to the crime.
Предполагаемая машина с который был убит Борис Немцов. #Nemtsovpic.twitter.com/dkJrFMLBE1
— Дмитрий Миронов (@D_mir_onov) February 28, 2015
Two of the vehicles belonged to taxi companies, while the third was driven by a man who said he was trying to park his car nearby but could not find a parking space, LifeNews TV channel reports.
READ MORE: Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov killed in the center of Moscow
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has said that Boris Nemtsov “posed no threat” to the Russian government.
“With all due respect to the memory of Boris Nemtsov, in political terms he did not pose any threat to the current Russian leadership or Vladimir Putin. If we compare popularity levels, Putin’s and the government’s ratings and so on, in general Boris Nemtsov was just a little bit more than an average citizen.”
The Vesna (“Spring”) opposition rally scheduled for March 1 was canceled due to Nemtsov’s death, RPR-Parnas co-chairman and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyano said.
“We have finished a meeting on the rally on March 1. In connection to this tragic event – the murder of Boris Nemtsov – we have canceled the anti-crisis march in Maryino (District of Moscow) and intend to hold a mourning gathering in central Moscow on March 1. Tomorrow in the morning we will contact the Moscow mayor’s office,” he said.
The Opposition Republican Party of Russia, RPR-Parnas, has called on its supporters to assemble on Saturday morning on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, where Nemtsov was killed.
Nemtsov was a real patriot, who believed in the possibility of Russia's greatness. I cry now both for his family & the country he so loved.
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) February 27, 2015
— Lida Vasilevskaya (@Vasilevskaya_RT) February 28, 2015
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on Twitter that he is sure that those responsible for Nemtsov’s death will be found.
“Shocked. Boris was killed. Hard to believe this. I do not doubt that murderers will be punished,” he said.
Police said there were three white cars on the bridge during the shooting, according to footage from street cameras, Interfax reported. The vehicles were identified as two Ford Focus models and one Ford Mondeo.
The license plates have been established and police are conducting a search. However, some witnesses said the car containing the suspects was without a license plate.
US President Barack Obama has condemned Nemtsov’s death, describing it as a “brutal murder,” the White House National Security Council said on Twitter. The council also called on Russia to conduct a “prompt, impartial and transparent investigation” and to “ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
We call on Russian govt to conduct prompt, impartial & transparent investigation & ensure those responsible are brought to justice #Nemtsov
— WH National Security (@NSCPress) February 27, 2015
27 February 2015
Nikita Belyh, governor of the Kirov Region, said he was shocked to hear about Nemtsov’s death and expressed his sincerest condolences to the politician’s family. “This is a nightmare. Boris Nemtsov was killed. I can’t believe this, I talked to him just four hours ago – we laughed, reminisced about something,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
Human Rights Watch representative Tanya Cooper called for a “thorough” and “unbiased” investigation into Nemtsov’s murder, adding that police must consider all angles, including the victim’s political career.
Journalists, passersby bring flowers to #Nemtsov killing scene in Moscow http://t.co/6xHGlqs5ARpic.twitter.com/1iN87dUHhd
— RT (@RT_com) February 27, 2015
Police said that traffic has been restored on the bridge.
Nemtsov was accompanied by a woman at the time of the murder, according to the police. Her name is not being released due to the ongoing investigation.
The politician’s family members arrived at the crime scene early on Saturday. Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev spoke to them at the site. Television host and opposition activist Ksenia Sobchak was among those at the scene.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was “immediately informed” about Nemtsov’s assassination, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
“Putin has stressed that this brutal murder has all [the] signs of a contract murder and is extremely provocative,” Peskov said.
“The president has expressed his deep condolences to the family of tragically deceased Nemtsov,” he added.
Nemtsov’s family lawyer, Vadim Prohorov, said the politician began receiving various types of threats – including death threats – on social media sites a few months ago.
A law enforcement source told Interfax news agency that a white vehicle approached Nemtsov, fired the shots, and sped away.
На Большом каменном мосту уже много журналистов pic.twitter.com/d9LJ4A0yDT
— Roman Dobrokhotov (@Dobrokhotov) February 27, 2015
A law enforcement source told Interfax news agency that a white vehicle approached Nemtsov, fired the shots, and rushed away.
Boris Nemtsov killed on Vasilyevsky Spusk, a bridge leading to the Red Square, with four shots in the back.