The investigation into the killing of Boris Nemtsov, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was gunned down not far from the Kremlin, faced conflicting reports Monday about possible surveillance footage of his slaying.
No suspects have been arrested since Nemtsov was shot dead Friday night on a Moscow bridge, a slaying that came just hours after a radio interview in which he denounced Putin’s “mad, aggressive policy” in Ukraine. According to Russian investigators, Nemtsov was walking near the Kremlin on his way home with a woman when he was shot four times by an assailant, who then escaped in a light-colored car.
It was not clear what CCTV footage may have captured his slaying, even though the area is one of the most highly secure parts of the Russian capital.
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Navalny was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 15 days in custody for handing out leaflets for an upcoming protest, which was also organized by Nemtsov.
France’s foreign minister on Monday called Nemtsov’s killing an “assassination that was revolting,” and called for a serious investigation into the crime. Laurent Fabius told BFM television that the slaying “raises a series of questions.”
“The fact is that it is not good to be an opposition figure in Russia,” he said, noting previous killings of other Russian opposition figures.
