Washington, DC – “Russia lost a great patriot and freedom fighter earlier today when Boris Nemtsov was shot and killed in Moscow. His death ends a brilliant career as a government leader under Boris Yeltsin and as a key opposition leader during the reign of Vladimir Putin. Nemtsov hailed from Nizhny Novgorod where he was elected governor and later served as deputy prime minister, and he was considered a serious candidate for the Russian presidency in the early 1990s.
“We worked very closely with Nemtsov in his efforts to build the Union of Right Forces as a competitive, pro-reform, democratic political party and the relationship continued as he led the Solidarity movement and then the Parnas political party. His commitment to Russian democracy and love of his homeland will be missed.
“All of us at IRI, along with those who believe in a democratic Russia, morn Nemtsov’s death and we are confident that his murder will only encourage others to take his place in the fight for democracy and human rights in Russia.”
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