Ruslan Geremeyev, a Chechen military commander, has expressed a desire to give testimony at the court hearing of the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, the Rosbalt news agency reported Friday.
Geremeyev — Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's ally who has been linked to Nemtsov's murder — will submit a letter containing his testimony to the court, Rosbalt reported, citing anonymous sources.
The commander is likely to say that he has never had any interest in Nemtsov and had no reason to dislike him, an anonymous source familiar with the situation said, Rosbalt reported.
Nemtsov was fatally shot in the back while walking across the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge in the late evening of Feb. 27, 2015. Five suspects have been arrested over the killing, including alleged murderer Zaur Dadayev.
Five Chechen men have been charged over the murder. According to the investigation, the crime was masterminded by Ruslan Mukhutdinov, currently on the international wanted list.
