AP reports (since updated):
Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic former deputy prime minister turned Russian opposition leader, was shot and killed in Moscow Saturday, officials said. He was 55.
Nemtsov’s death comes just a day before a planned protest against President Vladimir Putin’s rule. The Kremlin said that Putin will personally oversee the investigation.
Nemtsov was a sharp critic of Putin, assailing the government’s inefficiency, rampant corruption and the Kremlin’s policy on Ukraine, which has strained Russia-West ties to a degree unseen since Cold War times.
Update: The BBC reports:
In a recent interview, Mr Nemtsov had said he feared Mr Putin would have him killed because of his opposition to the war in Ukraine.
On the one hand, it’s hard to believe Vladimir Putin would approve something so utterly brazen. On the other hand, we are talking about Vladimir Putin.
Really it's a distraction to wonder what this latest murder "means" when the pattern is clear. Oppose Putin & your life is worth little.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 27, 2015
Do not say stupidities about how this is bad for Putin, or that he wouldn't do this. Do not presume to tell a dictator his business.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 27, 2015
Update: It’s heartbreaking to watch this BBC report from 1997.:
What might have been…
