World
Two Detained in Nemtsov Murder Probe
Mourners following the Russian tradition of memorializing a person nine days after a death lay flowers and votive candles at the place where Boris Nemtsov was gunned down near the Kremlin, in Moscow, on Saturday, March 7, 2015. (AP Photo)
(VOA News) – Russia has detained two suspects in the murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, the head of Russia’s federal security service told state television Saturday.
Alexander Bortnikov said the two men, Anzor Gubashev and Zaur Dadayev, both from Russia’s troubled North Caucasus region, are suspected of carrying out the crime. It was not clear whether either of them was accused of firing the shots.
The February 27 killing of such a high-profile government critic in an area near the Kremlin shocked the country. Members of the opposition have pointed blame at the government, with suspicions high that Nemtsov’s murder was ordered as retaliation for his fierce criticism of President Vladimir Putin.
One of Nemtsov’s closest allies in the opposition, Ilya Yashin, expressed his skepticism on Facebook after the arrests were announced, saying it is “hard to judge” whether these are the real perpetrators. He said it is extremely important that in addition to the shooters, those who ordered the killing are also identified and detained.
