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In reply to the discussion: Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead [View all]YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)...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:
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.