Vladimir Putin has broken his public silence since Boris Nemtsov's murder and, perhaps unsurprisingly, stirred up further controversy. While condemning the "brazen murder of Boris Nemtsov right in the center of the capital," WSJ reports [6], he told senior Police officials to "finally rid Russia of shame and tragedy" of politically-motivated murders. As The Guardian notes, [7] this seemingly contradicts theories the former deputy prime minister was shot over a domestic or business row.
Boris Nemtsov, as The Guardian notes, [7] is the most prominent opposition figure to be killed in Russia during Putin’s 15-year rule.
Many prominent political murders have remained unsolved in the past, and the US president, Barack Obama, and Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, have called on the Kremlin to make sure the Nemtsov killing is properly investigated.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, [6]
Russian President Vladimir Putin told senior police officials Wednesday that they should “finally rid Russia of shame and tragedy” such as the killing of opposition activist Boris Nemtsov, his first public comments on the slaying.
Mr. Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister who later became a fierce Kremlin critic, was gunned down near the Kremlin late Friday, a murder that opposition allies blame on the authorities.
“The most serious attention should be paid to high-profile crimes, including those with a political motive. We need to finally rid Russia of shame and tragedy such as we experienced and saw very recently. I mean the brazen murder of Boris Nemtsov right in the center of the capital,” he said in a speech.
Investigators haven’t named any suspects in the case, but say they are questioning witnesses, carrying out forensic analysis and have checked security camera footage.
The Kremlin released a statement from Mr. Putin shortly after the murder, saying it looked like a contract killing and was of a “provocative nature,” suggesting it was aimed at discrediting authorities.
Investigators say they are looking into whether Mr. Nemtsov was a “sacrificial victim” used to destabilize the country. Other theories include a link to the conflict in Ukraine or Islamist extremists.
Asked Wednesday whether there were any suspects in the case, the head of Russia’s FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, was quoted by state news agencies as saying: “There always are.”
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As The Guardian concludes, Putin's comments seemingly contradicts theories the former deputy prime minister was shot over a domestic or business row.
