In the center of the Russian capital, Moscow, thousands of people gathered on Saturday to commemorate the slain opponent, Boris Nemtsov. Nemtsov, one of President Vladimir Putin’s biggest opponents, was assassinated six years ago.
A former deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, the first president of the Russian Federation, was wounded by four bullets near the Kremlin on February 27, 2015. At the time, he was investigating Russia’s involvement in the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
“We meet here every year to show those in power that we have not and will never forget,” said former prime minister and opposition figure Mikhail Kashanov. “The memory of Boris will not be erased.” “I am sure that what Boris fought for – the freedom of the Russians, their well-being and their dignified life – will soon become a reality.”
An example of a figure
Kashanov still praises Nemtsov for “his contribution to liberating the Russians from the oppression and totalitarianism that has haunted us since the Soviet era.”
According to an NGO, about 3,700 people were on the move, including ambassadors from the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Nemtsov is still an exemplary figure for those who are indifferent to freedom, human rights and democracy,” the European Union representative in Russia said on Twitter. A spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Moscow said, “It remains an inspiration to many people who strive for justice, transparency and freedom.”
“The Russian people deserve better”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Saturday that he was “deeply concerned” about the “growing intolerance of the Russian government towards freedom of expression.” “The Russian people deserve better,” the minister said, honoring Nemtsov for their struggle for a “free and democratic” Russia.
In July 2017, five men from the Autonomous Republic of Chechnya and Ingushetia were convicted of killing Nemtsov. However, his family described the matter as a “total failure” because the Russian court never determined the mastermind behind the attack.
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