(ANSA) - MOSCOW, FEB 27 - Several thousand Russians - together with some Western diplomats - gathered in Moscow to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the assassination of the opponent Boris Nemtsov, one of the strongest critics of President Vladimir Putin shot dead on the Bolshoy bridge Moskvoretsky two steps from the Kremlin on February 27, 2015.
"We gather at this place on this day every year to show the authorities that we have not forgotten and will not forget," former prime minister and opposition politician Mikhail Kasyanov said during the rally.
"I am sure that what Boris fought for - freedom for the Russians, their well-being and a dignified life - will soon be realized," he added.
Usually marked by a march through central Moscow, the opposition this year instead gathered at the makeshift memorial at the site of his death which is regularly dismantled by the authorities, as restrictions on mass gatherings are still in place due to the pandemic.
According to data from the NGO Contatore Bianco, about 3,700 people gathered at 3 pm Moscow time;
also deposed the ambassadors of the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU in Russia, including Germany and Lithuania.
The Moscow Times reports.
(HANDLE).
