Thousands of Russians gather to commemorate the murdered opponent, Boris Nemtsov | Homepage

A former deputy prime minister of the time of 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 decent life – will soon become a reality.”

Kashanov still praises Nemtsov for “his contribution to liberating 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 remains an exemplary figure for those who are indifferent to freedom, human rights and democracy,” the EU representative in Russia said on Twitter. “He remains an inspiration to the many people who strive for justice, transparency and freedom,” said a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Moscow.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Saturday that he was “deeply concerned” by the Russian government’s “growing intolerance of 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 republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia were convicted of killing Nemtsov. However, his family described it as a “total failure” as the Russian court never identified the mastermind behind the attack.