Boris Nemtsov’s points to Putin

 

The Daily Journalist.

 

Boris Nemtsov, one the cynical leaders against the policies of President Vladimir Putin, fell last night killed in a bridge a few meters from the Kremlin walls. The news rocked a country that has experienced a reduction of freedoms in the last two years, but that despite the harassment of opposition has not had assassinations of political leaders over the past decade.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Yeltsin, said Nemtsov was one of the few Russian politicians who defended Ukraine’s integration into European structures and rejected the conflict with Kiev. Currently, the politician occupied a seat of deputy in the Parliament of Yaroslavl region and co-chaired the Liberal party RPR-Parnas. In addition, he was known for having written a number of reports that bound Putin and his closest circle of corruption that many categorize as a kleptocracy. Earlier this month he had said in an interview that he was afraid that Putin tried to kill him.

Yesterday we spent the day denouncing government policy in the media: “Today before the program he asked me if I was not afraid to have him as my guest, I replied I am who should be afraid,”wrote last night on twitter Alexei Venediktov, chief editor of the Moscow Echo radio station.

Boris Nemtsov, 55, member of the Duma (Lower House) between 1999 and 2003, was shot four times by an attacker who last night had not been identified and apparently fled the scene in a car. His companion of rows Ilya Yashin confirmed his death. “In front of me, I saw the body of Boris, on the floor with many police around,” he told Ria Novosti.

Nemtsov was walking down the street with a Ukrainian woman and was killed when he passed one of the bridges overlooking Red Square, near one of the entrances to the Kremlin. His companion was not injured, as reported by several Russian journalists.

President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing and said it will open an investigation to determine the facts. The opposition was organizing a demonstration against the death of Nemtsov today.

Opponents came to the scene of the murder, to show solidarity highlighting his view. Nemtsov, had a positive attitude towards Europe and spoke good English.  He began to learn as governor of the Novgorod region before reaching the position of prime minister in the last years when Yeltsin was in the late nineties.

The financial crisis of August 1998 made him resign as Deputy Prime Minister. It came to be regarded as a possible successor to the presidency, but Putin crossed his path. “The current Duma deputies, mostly, are very different from their predecessors. Say you are less honest. And his aides are of the same ilk,” pointed Izvestia newspaper.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last night that Putin was immediately informed of the death of Nemtsov and, after that, had noted that the murder was a provocation pointing it might even be a contract killing. Putin has ordered the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Interior to create a commission of inquiry to this case, reports the Russian news agency Itar-Tass. A representative of the Committee of Investigation said last night that they were considering all possible versions and have questioned witnesses.

A dozen police vehicles and ambulances this morning are still on the scene whose accesses are blocked with agents. One of them had tears explaining to journalists when he first saw the body. Dressed in jeans and bleeding on the road to -2 degrees, his corpse was lying on camera at least an hour.

Nemtsov had spent the last days preparing tomorrow’s march against government policy. One of the drivers of mobilization, the lawyer and blogger Alexei Navalny was detained on February 19 for a period of 15 days. Finally the demonstration has been suspended: “That day will hold a funeral march in central Moscow,” said Mikhail Kasyanov, one of the opposition closest to Nemtsov.

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