Moscow slams as ‘lies’ EU Parliament resolution on Nemtsov murder

Moscow has denounced as "a hodgepodge of lies and clear misinterpretations” the recent resolution of the European Parliament on the murder of anti-Kremlin figure, Boris Nemtsov.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the resolution as "the height of cynicism," saying it will further complicate the frayed relations between Moscow and the European Union (EU).

"By such resolution, the EU Parliament not only devalues its importance, but also causes direct harm to attempts to return the situation in Europe to normal,” said Alexander Lukashevich, adding, “It is easy to guess, who benefits from this.”

Lukashevich also lashed out at the European Parliament for turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by the Kiev government in eastern Ukraine, citing Kiev’s alleged role in downing the MH17 plane which claimed the lives of 298 people in the restive region last year.

"We advise European parliamentarians to use their energy on the countries that are essentially impeding the investigation [into the incident] and get them to provide all material needed to construct a picture of what happened," he stated.

European Parliament resolution

On Thursday, the European Parliament approved a resolution regarding the assassination of Nemtsov, urging an international investigation into the "most significant political murder in recent Russian history.”

The European Parliament “requests an independent international investigation into the murder; takes the view that the instruments available within the framework of the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), the Council of Europe and the United Nations would help to ensure an impartial and fair investigation," the resolution read.

The resolution also censured Kremlin for employing “pressure, repressive acts and intimidation" against opposition figures.

Nemtsov’s assassination

On February 27, Nemtsov (shown below) was shot dead as he was walking across a bridge in the Russian capital city of Moscow.

According to Nemtsov’s lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov, the politician had started to receive death threats on social media sites over the past few months. 

The assassination came ahead of the annual spring opposition rally scheduled for March 1 in Moscow, which he was set to lead.

Russian security forces have arrested five people so far for their suspected role in the murder.

Frayed EU-Moscow ties

The EU-Moscow relations have cooled sharply after Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea joined the Russian Federation following a referendum in March 2014.

Relations were strained further after Ukraine launched military operations in April 2014 to silence the pro-Russia protests in Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in the east.

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