Western diplomats pay tribute on 6th anniversary of Nemtsov murder

Moscow, 27 feb (efe-epa).- The United States ambassador to Russia on Saturday paid tribute to Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on the sixth anniversary of his murder.

John J. Sullivan laid flowers at the spot where Nemtsov was shot four times on 27 February 2015 as he crossed a bridge not far from the Kremlin. Sullivan was joined by the British ambassador Deborah Bronnert and their Latvian counterpart Maris Riekstins.

Rebecca Ross, the US embassy spokeswoman, in a tweet described Nemtsov as “a Russian politician dedicated to pursuing a better future for his country and his fellow citizens. He remains an inspiration to many who strive for justice, transparency, freedom.”

The British embassy said the liberal politician was “widely admired in the UK for his work in promoting democracy and human rights in Russia.”

Nemtsov served as deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin in 1998. He became a strong critic of current president Vladimir Putin after the strongman leader came to power at the turn of the century.

He accused Putin’s government of corruption in the organization of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and of secretly deploying Russian troops to help separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

Five Chechen men were found guilty of carrying out the assassination of Nemtsov, although authorities say the person or entity that ordered the hit remains unknown. EFE-EPA

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