Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Smith for raising this important matter. In the early hours of last Saturday morning, a prominent Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead in central Moscow. His murder was a brutal and cowardly act which was met with widespread shock and disbelief. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, has expressed his deep sadness at Mr. Nemtsov's death and extended his sympathies to his family.

Tributes have poured in for Mr. Nemtsov since his death. He served his country with distinction in many roles, including as former Deputy Russian Prime Minister under President Yeltsin. Mr. Nemtsov was a courageous champion of democratic reforms and a strong advocate for a more open and tolerant Russia. His loss will be deeply felt not just in Russia but around the world.

The high regard in which Mr. Nemtsov was held was evident by the large crowd which attended a vigil in his honour on Sunday. Some 50,000 people turned out to mourn his loss and honour his life. While the vigil march included a wide range of political parties and movements, the attendance of so many ordinary Russia citizens was notable. Their presence in such numbers was a tribute to his legacy as a fearless reformer who was not afraid to speak out against the direction that Russia was taking and the policies being pursued by the current government. Large numbers of mourners also attended his memorial service yesterday. As was the case with most other EU member states, Ireland was represented at the service by our ambassador to Russia.

Mr. Nemtsov's murder highlighted the vulnerability of opposition figures in Russia currently, where any form of criticism of the government is seen as an act of disloyalty. He had been a vocal critic of Russia's actions against Ukraine. In fact, the vigil on Sunday in honour of Mr. Nemtsov replaced an opposition demonstration which he had been instrumental in organising to protest against the economic crisis and Russia's role in the destabilisation of Ukraine.

President Putin has condemned the killing. His spokesperson said that the President had written to Mr. Nemtsov's mother promising that he would personally oversee the investigation into her son's murder. Many theories are in circulation as to the motives for Mr. Nemtsov's murder. For this reason, it is all the more important that the Russian authorities promptly conduct a full and transparent investigation into his killing and that the perpetrators of this callous crime are brought to justice.

There should be no culture of impunity in the face of such an appalling deed. It is also important that the rights to freedom of assembly and expression that Mr. Nemtsov fought so fearlessly to defend are recognised and fully protected.

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