Two charged and three jailed in Russian opposition leader's assassination
- 9 years ago
Authorities in Russia have made 5 arrests... in the ongoing probe into who killed Boris Nemtsov -- an outspoken Kremlin critic.
All 5 are said to be of Chechen origin... two of those suspects have been charged by a Moscow court.
Connie Kim reports.
A Moscow court has charged two men accused of plotting to kill Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken Kremlin critic.
Zaur Dadayev, a former police officer who fought Islamic insurgents, admitted he was involved in the killing, while the second suspect, Anzor Gubashev, pleaded innocent.
Russian state television showed the men's arrival in court, wearing handcuffs and covering their faces.
Three other suspects have been jailed.
All five men are of Chechen origin, which could potentially be a sensitive issue in Russia, as many Russians view Chechens as violent extremists.
A sixth suspect reportedly blew himself up with a grenade in a standoff with police in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
Nemtsov was assassinated in late February, days before he was set to address a major anti-government rally.
He was also to publish a report on the Russian military's involvement in the war in Ukraine, despite Moscow's denial that it has supplied separatists with troops and weapons.
The biggest question now is who ordered Nemtsov's assassination.
Some of his supporters have gone so far as to say the Russian government was behind the killing.
Russian officials deny that, and President Vladimir Putin has condemned the killing and pledged to do everything to find and prosecute the killers.
Nemtsov's shooting is the most high-profile killing of an opposition figure since Putin came to power in 2000.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.
All 5 are said to be of Chechen origin... two of those suspects have been charged by a Moscow court.
Connie Kim reports.
A Moscow court has charged two men accused of plotting to kill Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken Kremlin critic.
Zaur Dadayev, a former police officer who fought Islamic insurgents, admitted he was involved in the killing, while the second suspect, Anzor Gubashev, pleaded innocent.
Russian state television showed the men's arrival in court, wearing handcuffs and covering their faces.
Three other suspects have been jailed.
All five men are of Chechen origin, which could potentially be a sensitive issue in Russia, as many Russians view Chechens as violent extremists.
A sixth suspect reportedly blew himself up with a grenade in a standoff with police in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
Nemtsov was assassinated in late February, days before he was set to address a major anti-government rally.
He was also to publish a report on the Russian military's involvement in the war in Ukraine, despite Moscow's denial that it has supplied separatists with troops and weapons.
The biggest question now is who ordered Nemtsov's assassination.
Some of his supporters have gone so far as to say the Russian government was behind the killing.
Russian officials deny that, and President Vladimir Putin has condemned the killing and pledged to do everything to find and prosecute the killers.
Nemtsov's shooting is the most high-profile killing of an opposition figure since Putin came to power in 2000.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.