Thousands of people marched in the Russian capital on February 26 to pay homage to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in central Moscow two years ago.
Nemtsov, an ardent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot in the back as he walked with a female companion across a bridge near the Kremlin late on February 27, 2015.
The interior minister estimated the number of participants at 5,000, while organisers provided a threefold higher figure. But the size of the march in either case showed a steep decline on the estimated 50,000 people who turned out to remember Nemtsov at a rally a few days after his death, and 24,000 took part in a similar march last year.
However, participants' slogans echoed Nemtsov's harsh statements against Putin and Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, such as "For Russia, without Putin".
Meanwhile, it remains unclear who ordered Nemtsov's assassination. Five Chechen men are currently on trial, charged with killing Nemtsov, but they have denied the charges, and Nemtsov's relatives have expressed concerns that the actual person or people behind the murder will never be found.
Related Articles
Nairobi confirms Kenyan nationals joined Russian forces as recruitment networks draw scrutiny
Kenya has for the first time publicly acknowledged that some of its citizens have been recruited to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, following investigative reports detailing how young people ... more
Belgium threatens to block Ukraine reparations loan unless EU shares risks
Belgium has warned it will block a proposed reparations loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets unless other EU countries agree to share legal and financial risks, Belgian Prime Minister Bart ... more
Russia ready to cooperate with Iran on nuclear issues, says Peskov
Russia will continue to cooperate with Iran including in the field of “peaceful nuclear energy”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 20, Vedomosti newspaper reported. ... ... more