Boris Nemtsov Murder: Two Suspects Detained in Death of Putin Critic

MOSCOW — Two suspects have been detained in the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, the head of Russia's federal security service said Saturday.

Anzor Gubashev and Zaur Dadayev were detained on Saturday, FSB director Alexander Bortnikov said, speaking on state-run TV channel Channel One. He said that President Vladimir Putin has been informed of their detention.

He said they were "suspected of carrying out this crime," but it was not clear if either of the suspects was believed to have fired the shots that killed Nemtsov as he and a companion walked over a bridge near the Kremlin on Feb. 28. No charges were immediately announced.

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Nemtsov's killing shocked Russia's already beleaguered and marginalized opposition supporters. Suspicion in the opposition is high that the killing was ordered by the Kremlin in retaliation for Nemtsov's adamant criticism of Putin. The 55-year-old was working on a report about Russian military involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict.

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But Russia's top investigative body said it was investigating several possible motives, including that he was killed in an attempt to smear Putin's image. It also said it was looking into possible connections to Islamic extremism and Nemtsov's personal life.

Many believe that Nemtsov's death in a tightly secured area near the Kremlin wouldn't have been possible without official involvement, and could be an attempt to scare other government foes.

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— The Associated Press