The need to shed light on the background of the murder of Boris Nemtsov

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13967 | 28 January 2016

Signatories:

Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr David BAKRADZE, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Marieluise BECK, Germany, ALDE ; Mr Boryslav BEREZA, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Irakli CHIKOVANI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Tomasz CIMOSZEWICZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Hendrik DAEMS, Belgium, ALDE ; Ms Christina EGELUND, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Markar ESEYAN, Turkey, ALDE ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Karl GARÐARSSON, Iceland, ALDE ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Pierre GRIN, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Andrzej HALICKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Frank J. JENSSEN, Norway, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Dalia KUODYTĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Sabien LAHAYE-BATTHEU, Belgium, ALDE ; Ms Valentina LESKAJ, Albania, SOC ; Mr Anže LOGAR, Slovenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Georgii LOGVYNSKYI, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Meritxell MATEU, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksandar NIKOLOSKI, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD ; Ms Judith OEHRI, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Liliana PALIHOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Azadeh ROJHAN GUSTAFSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Paul SCHNABEL, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr Koos SCHOUWENAAR, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr Andrej ŠIRCELJ, Slovenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena SOTNYK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Ionuț-Marian STROE, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Krzysztof TRUSKOLASKI, Poland, ALDE ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE ; Mr Leonid YEMETS, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

On 27 February 2015, Boris Nemtsov was assassinated by bullet on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky bridge in Central Moscow. By now five alleged perpetrators, men of Chechen origin, were charged with the murder of Mr Nemtsov, while the organisers are still at large and the alleged involvement of the Chechen authorities has not been investigated.

Boris Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, was a highly respected and charismatic leader of the opposition against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The killing took place the night before Mr Nemtsov was due to lead a protest march against the war in Ukraine. Mr. Nemtsov was also close to completing an investigative report on the involvement of the Russian military in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Almost a year after the murder, the Parliamentary Assembly considers that there is a need for the international community to monitor the course and the results of the investigation in order to help ensure that all aspects of the case are properly investigated by the competent authorities. A rapporteur appointed by the Assembly could make a contribution to elucidating the background of the crime, in co-operation with the competent Russian authorities as well as Mr. Nemtsov’s family and friends who fear that only the triggermen will be punished, whereas those who ordered and organised the murder will be protected. The effective, credible investigation of this assassination is crucial not only to Mr Nemtsov’s colleagues and relatives, but also to all Russian citizens who seek justice, democracy and security.