Frankfurter Allgemeine: Nemtsov helped the USA

The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung put forward a new version of the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov: the motive for the crime could have been his cooperation with the American authorities. Thus, according to the publication’s information received from sources in the intelligence services, “after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, Nemtsov allegedly helped the US authorities in developing a “black list” of leading Russian politicians and entrepreneurs, which included freezing accounts and a ban on entry into the EU and the US.” Nemtsov allegedly shared with the Americans insider information about President Putin’s inner circle and associates. For example, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergei Naryshkin, as follows from information from the special services, personally went on a secret mission to Crimea in order to find the future leader of the republic.

Russian oppositionist Vladimir Milov, as stated further, considers this version quite probable. “Because of the sanctions, Putin and the people around him faced serious problems that they did not expect,” says Milov. “They have long considered Nemtsov personally guilty of the fact that sanctions were introduced in such a harsh format.” According to Milov, the Kremlin was not happy with Nemtsov’s “lobbyism.”

In addition, Nemtsov in 2012 allegedly “participated in the development of the so-called “Magnitsky list.” The case of lawyer Magnitsky, who died in prison, according to the West, due to unprovided medical care, has seriously worsened Russian-American relations: in response to sanctions, Russia has banned the adoption of Russian children by US citizens. Then Nemtsov met with conservative American Republican senators John McCain and Ron Johnson and during the meeting handed over a list with the names of 13 Russians - among them were close associates of Putin - to be included in the “Magnitsky list”. Nemtsov’s activities were allegedly financed by American investor George Soros, correspondent Markus Wehner reports.