Five detained in killing of Kremlin critic Nemtsov

(Vatican Radio) Russian security officials say they have detained five men, all reportedly Chechen, in the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. One suspect reportedly killed himself in the Chechen capital, Grozny. At least one of the suspects allegedly confessed his involvement in the murder during a court appearance Sunday. 

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:

Moscow Court Judge Nataliya Mushnikova said in published remarks that one of the detained men confirmed his guilt in Nemtsov’s murder.

Zaur Dadayev, who served with Interior Ministry troops in Russia's turbulent region of Chechnya for 10 years, reportedly confessed his involvement to investigators Sunday, when he and four other suspects faced their first court hearing.

Among the suspects is Anzor Gubashev, whose mother, Zulay Gubasheva, is in shock over their detention.

“They lived in Moscow for nine, ten years,” she told reporters. “I never thought they could do this. We learned yesterday that they had been detained.” 

 

Officials said Dadayev and Gubashev were detained Saturday in Ingushetia, a Russian republic in the Northern Caucasus, where their families live.

NEW SUSPECTS

Soon after, three other suspects were detained, one of whom is Gubashev’s younger brother, Shagid. The others include Ramzan Bakhayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. The detainees were expected to remain in custody throughout the investigation. 

Chechen officials said a sixth suspect killed himself in Chechnya's capital Grozny late Saturday, by detonating a hand grenade, when police forced their way into the apartment in which he was holed up. 

OUTSPOKEN CRITIC 

Nemtsov’s assassination has prompted worldwide condemnation. Thousands of people attended a memorial service for the politician in Moscow last week. 

Nemtsov, known as an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was reportedly shot four times in the back 27 February, shortly before he planned to publish evidence which he believe proved Russia's direct involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. 

Nemtsov’s family and friends say they believe he was killed for his political stance.

On Sunday, pro-Russian separatists said they had completed a withdrawal of heavy weapons in line with recent cease-fire deals, but they claimed Ukrainian government forces had not yet done so.

Following a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Riga, Latvia, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherina said the EU had not given up hope yet of cooperation with Russia to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.  

Mogherina is rejecting a call from the United States to supply weapons to Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine

The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people to date.