UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, talks during The UN Women Summit entitled `Women in Power and Decision-Making: Building a Different World`, in Santiago, Chile, 27 February 2015. Photo EPA/BGNES
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the assassination of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and said he expected the perpetrators “to be brought to justice swiftly.”
Nemtsov was gunned down on 27 February in central Moscow by unknown assailants. Russian authorities have announced an investigation into the case.
In addition to condemning the killing the UN Secretary General expressed his deepest condolences to Nemtsov's family, friends and supporters, according to a statement of the world organization.
Nemtsov was killed while walking along the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. According to preliminary data he was gunned down from a car passing by the bridge. Four bullets hit him in the back and he died on the spot.
Several theories of the murder are being considered, ITAR-TASS said. Investigators do not rule out that this was a contract killing.