Nemtsov Received Threats Over Stance on Charlie Hebdo Attack

According to investigators, Boris Nemtsov had been receiving threats linked to his stance on the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian politician Boris Nemtsov, killed in Moscow late Friday, had received threats related to his stance on the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said Saturday.

According to the Russian Interior Ministry, Nemtsov was killed at 11:40 p.m. Moscow time on Friday (20:40 GMT), when several shots were fired at him from a car.

"The investigators have information that Nemtsov had been receiving threats linked to his stance on the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris," Markin said.

The Investigative Committee is also considering versions that may be connected to Nemtsov's business activities. All of the versions will be thoroughly checked, according to Markin.

The committee also stated that those responsible for the politician's murder supposedly knew about the route Nemtsov was going to take on the night of the murder and followed him.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the investigation into the murder of Nemtsov was of paramount importance and required patience.

Boris Nemtsov was 55 years old. In 1991, Boris Nemtsov was appointed the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. He also was a former deputy prime minister in the Russian government under President Boris Yeltsin. Nemtsov co-chaired the RPR-PARNAS (Republican Party of Russia – People's Freedom Party) since 2012 and was also one of the leaders of the liberal Solidarnost movement. Since September 2013 and until his death, Nemtsov served as a member of the Yaroslavl Region's parliament.