Nemtsov’s Death ‘Serves as a Wake-Up Call’
An interview with Sergey Lagodinsky by Kersten Knipp of Deutsche Welle on the February 27 murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.
DW: Following the murder, various people have commented that Putin is at least indirectly responsible for it, because he created a political climate that makes these kinds of assassinations possible. What’s your view on this accusation?
Sergey Lagodinsky: This is true. The government silences voices of opposition and has launched a tough campaign against its critics. Even before the Ukraine crisis, this campaign was already fueled by the media and included personal attacks on specific people. In this regard, the Kremlin has a high level of political responsibility for the crime.
Nemtsov and many other opposition politicians were systematically vilified and discredited. Due to his criticism of Russia’s Ukraine policy, he was not only presented as an enemy of the regime but also of the nation and the people. Critics like him have been portrayed as the “fifth column” [secret subversive groups that seek a political overthrow], and through this have been indirectly declared as outlawed.
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To read the full interview, please visit Deutsche Welle online.