Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead

[Bosonic]

Source: BBC

A leading Russian opposition politician, former deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say.

An unidentified attacker shot Mr Nemtsov four times in central Moscow, a source in the law enforcement bodies told Russia's Interfax news agency.

He was shot near the Kremlin while walking with a woman, according to Russian-language news website Meduza.

"Several people" had got out of a car and shot him, it added.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31669061

---

Reports: Russian Opposition Politician Boris Nemtsov Killed In Moscow

Russian news agencies say prominent opposition politician and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov has been shot dead in Moscow.

The Interfax news agency cited a law enforcement source as saying that Nemtsov was shot four times by an unidentified assailant late in the evening on February 27 and died of his injuries.

Interfax said it did could not independently verify the report.

Nemtsov’s fellow Kremlin critic Ilya Yashin said on Twitter that Nemtsov was shot and is “dead.”

http://www.rferl.org/content/nemtsov-death/26873635.html

[NBachers]

1. Holy shit . . . God help us it doesn't happen here.

[Demeter]

48. What are you talking about? It happens here all the time

[leveymg]

78. The only difference, they don't do the "lone gunman" act.

In both countries, the hard men play for keeps when anyone steps in the way of empire.
?resize=236%2C300 ?resize=300%2C229

?resize=221%2C300 ?resize=234%2C300

[raccoon]

86. Who is that last photo, the man in the hospital? nt

[Telcontar]

87. I dont remember his name, but he was a Russian defector

Was giving up the goods on Putin in London and was poisened by polonium. Bit of a row between Great Britain and Russia for a while.

[EX500rider]

95. Alexander Litvinenko

Alexander Litvinenko was a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and KGB, who fled from court prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in the United Kingdom. According to his wife and father, he was working for MI6 and MI5 after receiving the asylum.

[raccoon]

85. +1000. nt

[Man from Pickens]

79. It's already happened here

and I suspect it happens far more often than we ever learn.

Missouri State Auditor just got "suicided", it being wholly incredible that he offed himself. And it's not been that long since the Michael Hastings incident.

Ever since the invention of the "heart attack gun" we really have no way of knowing who died of natural causes and who was assassinated. What we do know is that assassination has increasingly been a part of US national policy, to the point where they don't even seem to acknowledge the shamefulness of the practice.

Hell, the "American Sniper" hero that this country is orgasming itself over, sniping is just a method of assassination - he was an assassin, and he's presently this country's #1 national hero.

[geek tragedy]

80. Michael Hastings was not assassinated. Spare us the crazy talk. nt

[YoungDemCA]

105. Some are willing to ally with anyone in blaming the US government for its alleged misdeeds

Including actual despotic, undemocratic, anti-liberal regimes like the Russian government.

Don't ask me to explain the "logic" of that.

[midnight]

102. I hadn't thought about Michael Hasting's story in a while, but was wondering if the work he was

researching has been printed yet.

[DeSwiss]

2. K&R

[center]
''I know I was the first thing that came to mind, right?''[/center]

[TwilightGardener]

3. Well, it wasn't slow from polonium, I guess that's a merciful thing.

[Helen Borg]

4. No more opposition now...

Wow, Russia is out of control.

[geek tragedy]

5. The mafia state claims another victim in Russia. Don Putin will be very pleased nt

[YoungDemCA]

8. I hope any Putin apologists we may have here see this thread

nt

[geek tragedy]

9. they'd just blame it on Ukrainians nt

[jakeXT]

25. It'll be interesting to hear what she has to say

Interior Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Alexeyeva told reporters on the scene that Nemtsov was walking with a female acquaintance, a Ukrainian citizen, when a vehicle drove up and unidentified assailants shot him dead. The woman wasn't hurt.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_OPPOSITION_LEADER_KILLED?SITE=TXHAR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[christx30]

93. I'd imagine she'd soon be dead,

or out of the country so fast she'll leave flaming tire tracks. Hopefully she's able to stay safe and help impartial investigators find the people responsible, and who they work for.

[jakeXT]

96. It was his 23 year old girlfriend an Ukrainian model

Nemtsov, 55, (right) had been out for dinner with his Ukranian model girlfriend Anna Duritskaya, 23, (left) in the hours before his death. The couple had been dating for several years, according to reports

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2972813/Russian-opposition-politician-Boris-Nemtsov-shot-dead-Moscow-street.html

[7962]

70. Bingo!

[freshwest]

77. Them or someone else...

[Codeine]

92. Or Mossad.

There's a fair amount of crossover between the Putinistas and the Johnny Joozdidit crowd.

[Cha]

73. Oh, they'll see it and try to make sure putin is blameless.

[YoungDemCA]

6. BBC article

A leading Russian opposition politician, former deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say.

An unidentified attacker shot Mr Nemtsov four times in central Moscow, a source in the law enforcement bodies told Russia's Interfax news agency.

He was shot near the Kremlin while walking with a woman, according to Russian-language news website Meduza.

"Several people" had got out of a car and shot him, it added.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31669061

[newthinking]

66. Tabloid msm at work again. It is a tragedy but he was not a "leading" politician

He was known for his work under Yeltson, which the Russian people feel was one of the worst presidencies in their history.

He was certainly not a threat to the current leadership. We will have to wait to learn the results of the investigation.

Most likely it was a nationalist or family of someone affected by the Ukraine war (he was a supporter of maidan in Ukraine), or a hit from one of his enemies from the "mafia" period.

Certainly a tragedy. It would just be nice to see deeper reporting from the msm.

[MattSh]

83. Strange reporting.

From all accounts I can see, he hasn't held an elected position in over 10 years.

It's sort of like calling Bob Dole a leading American opposition politician. But it's par for the course for all mainstream media today in their coverage, or lack thereof, of things Russian.

[Treant]

7. "He had a cold,"

Pravda reports.

[MBS]

10. okey dokey. .back to this again

no surprise- but

[Jefferson23]

11. This is just devastating news....horrific. n/t

[MBS]

12. " " " " n/t

[Jefferson23]

13. I am sitting here stunned beyond belief...this is so horrible. n/t

[Cha]

72. :(...

Laura Mills @lauraphylmills
Follow
Flowers for Boris Nemtsov
1:45 PM - 27 Feb 2015 256 Retweets 108 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/02/27/a-tweet-or-two-249/#comments

Boris Nemtsov

[Jefferson23]

90. Horrific news, I am near speechless over it. It is unfortunate some of the comments here

but there are misunderstandings about Putin, one day more will come to see him for what
he is..a nightmare for Russia.

[MBS]

100. " " " " n/t

[Cha]

107. More Flowers for Boris #Nemtsov, Jefferson..

UK in Russia ✔ @ukinrussia
Follow
UK, French and German Ambassadors crossing the bridge to lay flowers where Boris #Nemtsov was killed.
6:34 AM - 28 Feb 2015 446 Retweets 196 favorites


Leonid Ragozin @leonidragozin
Follow
Long line of people and flowers
7:55 AM - 28 Feb 2015 69 Retweets 41 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/02/28/chat-away-535/

I think those comments here.. understand about Putin.. they just don't care.

[Jefferson23]

108. I am so pleased to see the ambassadors there..thank you for the photos, Cha.

That is excellent.

[Cha]

109. I know.. I think it's comforting when I see the ourpouring of caring and love like this for

someone I admire from afar. #Boris Nemtsov~RIP

[tavernier]

14. Breaking on CNN now

[MBS]

15. Washington Post article. .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-opposition-leader-boris-nemtsov-reported-killed-in-moscow/2015/02/27/972e15f0-becb-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html?tid=trending_strip_2

Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, angered the government two years ago when he charged that billions of dollars had been stolen from funds designated for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, his home town. He blamed “Putin’s friends” for the alleged embezzlement, which he described as “a real threat to Russia’s national security.”

A year earlier, Putin warned publicly that his opponents were prepared to murder one of their own so they could blame him for the death.“They are looking for a so-called sacrificial victim among some prominent figures,” Putin, a former KGB agent, told a gathering of the All-Russia Popular Front, a group organized to support him, ahead of Russia’s 2012 presidential election. “They will knock him off, I beg your pardon, and then blame the authorities for that.”

(yeah, right)

Nemtsov, an opponent whom Putin was said to despise more than most, said at the time that it was up to the authorities to prevent such a crime.“If the head of the federal government, who controls all intelligence agencies, makes a public statement that he has information about such a provocation and such a crime, he must do everything to prevent it and not just publicly scare Russians,” he told the Interfax news agency.

BBC America just noted the timing: that this happened just a day before an opposition march, organized in part by Nemtsov, which intends to criticize the government for its invasion of Ukraine and for economic problems. .

[jakeXT]

21. yeah right

A year earlier, Putin warned publicly that his opponents were prepared to murder one of their own so they could blame him for the death.“They are looking for a so-called sacrificial victim among some prominent figures,” Putin, a former KGB agent, told a gathering of the All-Russia Popular Front, a group organized to support him, ahead of Russia’s 2012 presidential election. “They will knock him off, I beg your pardon, and then blame the authorities for that.”

[JDPriestly]

31. This is ridiculous:

"Putin warned publicly that his opponents were prepared to murder one of their own so they could blame him for the death."

What possible benefit could Putin's opponents get from such a ploy?

His opponents cannot afford to lose one of their own.

Does Putin really think anyone believes his warning?

[MBS]

33. Hard to believe, for sure

. . I can't imagine that he could fool even the Russians about this. .
I mean it's just so blatant

[jakeXT]

43. I bet more people will come

The organizers of the opposition march Vesna, which is scheduled for March 1, have agreed to hold it in the Moscow Maryino area, Boris Nemtsov, co-chairman of the party RPR-PARNAS, told a press conference on Friday.

"After intensive debate and consultations, we came to the conclusion that we agree to hold the march in Maryino," Nemtsov said.

Nemtsov emphasized that the demands of the march are more important to the opposition that its venue. "The main thing to us is that all residents, including residents of Maryino, hear our demands," Nemtsov said.

- http://rbth.co.uk/news/2015/02/20/opposition_agrees_to_hold_march_1_march_in_maryino_43912.html)

[Hekate]

46. I'm sure they believe that it was A warning...

No matter that the reasons he gave were specious, it was definitely a warning.

[MattSh]

82. No it is not...

It's been very well established now that a lot of those people shot in Kiev a year ago were shot by their own people. And they got themselves a whole country to run into the ground less than a week later.

[Fumesucker]

89. Russian history makes Game of Thrones look like Mr Rogers Neighborhood

There are rivalries within the Putin rivals, it's not one group against Putin it's everyone for themselves.

Thinking like a Russian rival to Putin it makes some sense, make Putin look (even more) horrible, stifle your fellow rivals who weren't shot but will now be much more cautious, get rid of one fellow rival completely and clear the decks for further maneuvering on your own part less impeded by fellow rivals.

Putin would have been a little more subtle about it in my view, he's by no means stupid and he has to know how bad this makes him look and even to Putin appearances have at least some value.

[JDPriestly]

99. I don't think Putin would bbe subtle at all.

Why should he be?

Putin had this man killed. It was a set-up most likely. That is my best guess.

Of course, Putin can always rely on arguments like yours to encourage doubts about his role in it. But in the end, follow the money. Putin is the one who has the most to gain from the elimination of this popular critic.

Forgive me if my language is a bit harsh. But Putin needs to live with the fact that decades, perhaps centuries of Russian dominance in the region that has harmed the national aspirations of many of its neighbors, has caused a lot of mistrust about Russian motivations with regard to annexing those same neighbors.

If you read the book, 1919, Six Months that Changed the World, you will be reminded of the difficulty of defining nations in Central Europe according to ethnicity and/or language. The situation has probably improved somewhat since 1919. Two wars and movements of people have changed a lot of the ethnic and language make-up of various areas. But still, just how to decide borders and establish alliances and trade relations in the area is bound to be difficult because of the history.

[hrmjustin]

16. Sad that you take your life in your hands when you challenge Putin. n/t.

[rladdi]

17. This was a direct murder hired by Putin. Putin

has killed many of his opposition both in politics and business people. Putin is the worst terrorist in the world, worst then ISIS. But he still gets support from his people. The free world MUST stand up and take out Putin. Use a killer drone on him. Its Putin or the free world,

[SunSeeker]

18. Disgusting. Putin has no shame. nt

[MBS]

19. " " " " n/t

[YvonneCa]

22. This is not..

...good.

[uhnope]

20. cue Stephen Cohen to explain how people blame the Kremlin "everytime (someone) breaks a leg"

“Every time a journalist breaks a leg, they say the Kremlin did it."
-Kremlin apologist Stephen Cohen on the rash of murdered journalists in Russia
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/03/pathetic-lives-of-putins-american-dupes.html

Stephen Cohen is also a favorite source of Putinistas on DU.

[DallasNE]

23. Definitely An Assassination

Likely the KGB too. I'm wondering if the woman walked him into a trap. Looks real tidy.

[MBS]

34. yup n/t

[kelliekat44]

24. Someone on another board posted that if Rudy got his wish for Obama to be more like Putin,

Rudy would be dead now. Nevertheless, i bet the GOP will herald this murder as an example of great and strong leadership.

[JDPriestly]

26. And with him, the Putin crowd shot their credibility.

Clearly, Putin does have designs on the Ukraine. This assassination reads like something out of the Stalinist past.

Well, this at least makes things very clear.

I think we will be sending arms to the Ukraine very soon unless Putin wakes up and decides to let Ukrainians govern themselves -- East, West, South, North. Just let them go.

[MADem]

30. Putin wants to put together the old USSR. That's his goal, make no mistake.

He wants to challenge the west for command of the seas, too.

About the only thing that will stop him is chronic, debilitating illness or death.

[MBS]

35. I agree n/t

[JDPriestly]

40. Someone on DU responded to one of my posts with the message

that Greece used to be part of the Russian Empire.

I wonder now whether that person was simply confused or one of the Russian trolls.

It is possible that edges of Greece were part of a country that was part of the Russian Empire. I wouldn't know the boundaries of the various treaty agreements that well. But Greece? It was part of the Ottoman Empire for a while, but not of the Russian Empire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Empire

[Hekate]

44. Agreed.

[hrmjustin]

27. I hope this cold blooded murder wakes people up who think Russia's political climate is

fine and dandy.

I don't know or make a claim on who did it but clearly it is not safe to challenge Putin.

People should think teice about defending Putin.

[RKP5637]

29. Some apparently want to be brutalized who defend Putin, seems that way to me. n/t

[hrmjustin]

32. I don't know or get Putin defenders motives but I think they are wrong to do it. n/t.

[FLPanhandle]

37. Some just think they are cool if they side with anti-US leaders

Even if they come across as hypocrites or stupid.

[Tarheel_Dem]

47. But..but..'Putin has a 1000% approval rating'. I bet that number doubles pretty soon. Who's left..

to oppose him now? His thugs have no shame.

[RKP5637]

28. Hmmm, like duh, wonder who's behind this one ... guess, guess, guess! n/t

[appal_jack]

62. Clearly, it's "the imperialist West's" doing...

Do I need a or for my comment?

Putin is horrid. Putinistas are horrid

-app

[RKP5637]

69. Yep, sad, isn't it, that some favor Putin. n/t

[7962]

71. Sadly, yes, you DO need a sarcasm thingy for a few folks around here. nt

[blkmusclmachine]

36. Fascist State

[Comrade Grumpy]

38. Wow. DU definitively solved this so quickly. And from 5,000 miles away. Impressive.

[hrmjustin]

39. We don't know who pulled the actual trigger but we know who created the climate for it to happen.

[uhnope]

41. maybe the snide comments can be withheld at least until the body is cold

пожалуйста

[Blue_Tires]

49. Of course a year ago he was on record being afraid for his life

for opposing the invasion...

But you go on believing what you want to...

[Scootaloo]

57. Oh come on

I'm a consistent eye-roller at the Svoboda Sloppy-Seconders around here, but damn, man, opposition politicians who just happen to get gunned down by a car full of men is not mysterious.

This was pretty fucking certainly an assassination.

[Comrade Grumpy]

64. I'm with Obama:

'Obama says in a statement that Nemtsov was brutally murdered. He's calling on Russia's government to perform a "prompt, impartial and transparent" investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.'

I'd say it's probable that he got killed for his opposition to Putin, but nobody knows that at this point.

[newthinking]

67. Amazing isn't it?

But then again the case is being tried by media and most people still believe the msm represents something resembling accuracy in world reporting. So it certainly is not an unexpected result.

[Comrade Grumpy]

75. I just saw the former British ambassador on the BBC. He doubted the regime did it.

He said it was more likely "ugly nationalists."

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

106. You're right, DU is obviously barking up the wrong tree.

No doubt it was neo-Nazi Ukrainians, and Russia needs to take over the rest of Ukraine to keep Russia safe.

[Tarheel_Dem]

42. Gunned down in the street like a dog. How subtle. Can't wait for GG's thoughts on this.

[MisterP]

45. also a Yushchenko confidant, to bring Russians into Ukraine (or at least their hryvnia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Nemtsov

[jakeXT]

54. Deputy and First Deputy Prime Minister under Yeltsin for a short time /nt

[MisterP]

60. his bio shows not only how thin and fractured boundaries are in the region, but the political jumble

while himself a neoliberal (think Jeffrey Sachs's disaster) he'd had to reach out to everyone, to interact from Jew-baiters to CPSU old guards: it's not a "political spectrum," it's more of a labyrinth: no wonder the national pastime is chess

[newthinking]

68. He was not a significant player (as the media is making it sound)

He was certainly no threat to those currently in power.

[Blue_Tires]

50. Needless to say, Greenwald and Snowden were unavailable for comment

I have no doubt Greenwald is trying his damndest to link this slaying to the CIA somehow...

[uhnope]

111. have any of the RT westerners made any response? Hartmann, Keiser, Larry King

I'm pretty shocked at their silence. One year since Liz Wahl quit and they're still in denial about the blood money in their paychecks

[Blue_Tires]

112. Not that I've seen, other than some nutbars on twitter

[Blue_Tires]

51. Putin starts the disinfo machine before the body is even cold:

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/vladimir-putin-already-has-a-theory-about-who-killed-one-of-his-biggest-critics-2015-2

[Jefferson23]

56. The piece of shit makes an intentionally vague statement..grrr.

None of the state TV has interrupted their programing, as far as I understand it to report.

Although it is around the middle of the night there..but even so.

[tabasco]

52. Fascists like Putin don't take criticism well

Russia is a gangster state and a threat to its neighbors.

[Agnosticsherbet]

53. And Putin smiled.

[Ford_Prefect]

58. The writing is on the wall...

I don't believe a leopard chages his spots.

[herding cats]

59. He told a Russian news source on on Feb. 10th, "I'm afraid Putin will kill me."

Which was silly, people like Putin have others to do such dirty work for them. It's only effective if you can issue some politic platitudes after the deed is done with everyone knowing you were behind it, yet no one being able to prove it.

The people running about spewing how Russia is such an amazing democracy need to open their eyes.

[Cha]

113. The rest of the quote, hc.. "I believe that he was the one who unleashed the war in the Ukraine."

"Speaking to Russia's Sobesednik news website on 10 February, Boris Nemtsov said: "I'm afraid Putin will kill me. I believe that he was the one who unleashed the war in the Ukraine. I couldn't dislike him more."

and, a snip of President Obama's quote on his death..

Barack Obama said Mr Nemtsov was a ”tireless advocate“ for Russia and the rights of its citizens and praised him for fighting corruption.

The pair met in Moscow in 2009, the US President said, when the Russian was willing to ”share his candid views“.

"We offer our sincere condolences to Boris Efimovich (Nemtsov's) family and to the Russian people, who have lost one of the most dedicated and eloquent defenders of their rights," he added.

MOre..
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boris-nemtsov-im-afraid-putin-will-kill-me-politician-said-weeks-before-being-shot-dead-10077000.html


Renee Montagne @nprmontagne
Follow
Opposition voice Boris Nemtsov was writing an explosive report linking Putin to Ukraine's war.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/03/05/390754346/boris-nemtsov-he-directed-his-words-against-putin-himself …
3:14 AM - 5 Mar 2015 157 Retweets 79 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/03/06/an-improved-economy-thanks-president-obama/

[PersonNumber503602]

61. The comment section of RT.com is full of claims this was a CIA operation

I suspect that will become the preferred narrative of some.

[hrmjustin]

63. I saw that. some just can't bring themselve to see whwt Putin truly is so they have

to blame the west.

[Demeter]

84. I can't see Putin or the CIA stooping to this

More likely Russian Mafia loan sharking, or something similarly seedy.

[PersonNumber503602]

97. Russian mafia popped into my mind too.

We'll most likely never know. Although, that won't stop people from believing whatever it is they choose to believe, and this mans death will be fully exploited by all parties.

[MBS]

65. latest from Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-opposition-leader-boris-nemtsov-reported-killed-in-moscow/2015/02/27/972e15f0-becb-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html?hpid=z1

some new details:

Opposition leaders said they would go ahead with plans for the Sunday rally, which is to be held on the outskirts of Moscow. Before the murder, they were playing down expectations for turnout, but on Saturday they said it would be a moment to commemorate Nemtsov and his considerable accomplishments in Russian political life. “This murder, politically, it hits the spot, because if the message is to send a scare throughout the opposition movement, this is one thing to do,” said Vladimir Milov, an opposition leader who alongside Nemtsov had been planning the Sunday rally. “Scared or not scared, we will carry on,” he said.Milov said he did not think it would be the last murder of an opposition leader in Russia. “This is a new level, but as sad as it may sound, we have to expect a continuation. Because this is just how Russia operates now,” he said.

“Boris Nemtsov, contrary to many Russian politicians, was a very honest guy,” said Stanislav Belkovsky, an opposition political analyst and a longtime associate of Nemtsov. “It’s a rare thing among the Russian political community.” The murder, he said, was a consequence of “the evil energies set free by the Kremlin in the last year.”

. . .Nemtsov was a political star in the early post-Soviet days, when most Russians still dreamed of democracy — a young, energetic and smart physicist-turned-politician who charmed voters and won high approval ratings as a regional governor.
. . ..
He quickly instituted free-market economic policies, simplifying the nightmarish and corrupt processes of registering new businesses. He also enabled members of collective farms to acquire individual plots and introduced tax breaks for struggling businesses, according to the Encyclopedia of Russian History.. .. As deputy prime minister, Nemtsov spearheaded a program of economic “shock therapy” designed to haul Russia out of its post-Soviet doldrums. He sought to make bidding on government contracts more competitive and transparent, forced railroads and electricity suppliers to cut their prices and reduced household utility rates by 30 percent, the Russian history encyclopedia said.
A major initiative was to make all government contracts worth more than 900 million rubles, including military contracts, subject to competitive bidding. His efforts earned him the ire of Russia’s notorious “oligarchs,” who were accused of looting the nation’s assets after the fall of the Communist government.

This really is a tragedy.

[Cha]

74. "The murder, he said, was a consequence of “the evil energies set free by the Kremlin in the last..

year.”

Mahalo for the link, MBS..


Laura Mills @lauraphylmills
Follow
Flowers for Boris Nemtsov
1:45 PM - 27 Feb 2015 256 Retweets 108 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/02/27/a-tweet-or-two-249/#comments

Boris Nemtsov

[freshwest]

76. That is awful.

[Man from Pickens]

81. This story will probably defy expectations

I'd lay odds that the killing was over the young woman and was not political in nature. The way it went down is way too messy for a professional hit.

[tavernier]

88. A love triangle. Yeah, that's it.

Just a coincidence that he happened to be Putin's most hated rival.

Umm, don't give up your day job. 😂

[Man from Pickens]

98. "most hated rival"?

Don't even try to support that statement, you'll just waste your time. Putin has something like 80% approval and the dead guy had support in the 1% range.

[YoungDemCA]

104. Yes, authoritarian despots often are 'popular'

They appeal to nationalism and popular prejudices to garner and maintain political support.

And if you dare question or criticize them...watch your back, or else you may end up like many of Putin's critics have.

[jamzrockz]

91. I hope there is a proper investigation done for this murder

And for those people who think a former KGB officer as smart as Putin, if he wanted to take out his opponent would conduct it in such a manner?

He didn't go for the classic suicide or accuse him on some terrorist chargers or corruption charge and just lock him up for good. Instead, he opts for killing him in public mafia style while the world has its eyes on him.

This makes no sense that Putin would do this to this unpopular politician. He has way more to lose than gains on this particular hit. I don't buy he had anything to do with this, if anything it's more likely this is not related to politics or maybe it was done by someone trying to harm him reputation.

[Feron]

94. This is will always be funny..

Zhirinovsky vs. Nemtsov:

Context is in the comments, but be forewarned that there is antisemitism.

Anyway my jaw dropped when the headline came across my desktop news feed. RIP.

[YoungDemCA]

101. Just FWIW: The murder happened in front of the Kremlin,....

...where there are multiple security cameras in the area, so obviously they weren't afraid of being caught. They left the witness (the woman who was with Nemtsov at the time of his murder) alive-presumably, because they were not afraid of any chance of retaliation, and wanted to send a message. Also, the murder appears to be a highly coordinated, professional hit-which narrows the range of possibilities considerably.

And there are now multiple reports coming out that Mr. Nemtsov had been threatened before by the Russian government, especially in recent months. Furthermore, Nemtsov was frequently shadowed, to the point where he feared for his life-again, especially in recent months.

Finally...well, this Reuters report has more details of the last night of Nemtsov's life:

Feb 28 (Reuters) - It was near closing time on Friday at the upscale Bosco restaurant that looks out onto the illuminated red-brick walls of Moscow's Kremlin. Boris Nemtsov and his young, dark-haired girlfriend were finishing dinner.

A political reformer who had fallen foul of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov had been preoccupied for weeks with details of an opposition march planned for Sunday.

Dinner at Bosco - dishes include beef with rocket salad and balsamic sauce or duck liver with wild berries - had been interrupted by telephone calls, a waiter told a Russian newspaper. Nemtsov also broke off for an interview with a Ukrainian radio station eager for the details of the rally.

Hopes were high that the demonstration, to condemn Putin's economic and foreign policies, would rekindle the flames of the street protests that in 2011-12 posed the first public challenge to Putin's more than decade-long rule.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/28/russia-nemtsov-dinner-idUSL5N0W20GT20150228

The lesson here is that Russian critics of Putin end up dead.

[MADem]

110. If all the cameras in the area belong to the government, then the government decides which

video feeds are "important" and which ones can, errrm, hit the cutting room floor, as it were.

I think you learned the lesson rather quickly!

[still_one]

103. So how long will it be before the republicans blame Obama?