Editorial: the Moscow murder mystery

Photo: SCANPIX

A whopping five guys have been arrested by a Moscow court, all suspected in links to Boris Nemtsov’s murder. All hail from North Caucasus. If indeed the bunch should include immediate executors of the killing in central Moscow, nothing even close to trustworthy is known about who may have ordered it – nor regarding the motives.

Of the alleged killers, mainly two have gotten some limelight: Anzor Gubashev and Zaur Dadayev, whose arrest became public on Saturday. Pursuant to official statement of Russian investigative committee, they are suspected in both organising and executing the murder. On Saturday night, two more men were apprehended. About the fifth, we were told on Sunday. The other three: Ramzat Bakhayev, Tamerlan Eskerhanov and Shagid Gubashev.

The part of Russian media which, despite the conditions set by Kremlin regime, still show some signs of independent thinking and action, soon noticed that a Zaur Dadayev, a Russian Internal Troops soldier, was in 2010 decorated by President Vladimir Putin with high honours. According to Novaya Gazeta, as Mr Nemtsov’s murder is being investigated, all men then decorated are being reviewed. This is a unit under the command of current Chechnya leader, the Moscow- Ramzan Kadyrov. Anzor Gubashev, however, was working as security guy at a Moscow shopping mall.  

There was another man yet, who, about to be apprehended as suspected in links to the murder, took his own life in Grozny by detonating a grenade.

Regarding the murder, public space is teeming with hypotheses and conspiracy theories not inferior in number to those circulated about the Malaysian plane shot down above Eastern Ukraine. What is especially remarkable here is the spot of the killing, in central Moscow, right beside the Kremlin. Videos on location make one think about the role of the snow clearing machine busy nearby. This is a spot usually monitored by hosts of security cameras – then switched off for maintenance. As asked by Ekho Moskvy observer Yulia Latynina: how long would a Ukrainian flag stayed hoisted in said area? 30 seconds, she suggests. Also, lots of commentators are convinced – not without reason – that an opposition leader of Mr Nemtsov calibre would have been under almost non-stop surveillance by Russian authorities. Still, killers were able to shoot bullets at the politician unhindered, and then run for cover.

Hardly will the investigation proceed to find out the role of Kremlin or its loyal agents in the incident. The history of Russia’s political murders dates back to czarist times. And should anyone happen to face the courts for these, the tracks of real interest will have been hidden long ago.