Lawmakers in Washington D.C. have introduced legislation that would change the name of a street near the Russian Embassy after the murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
Nemtsov was gunned down in February 2015 next to the Kremlin. A group of Chechen men was found guilty this summer, but critics say those responsible for planning the murder have yet to face trial.
The legislation, introduced by local Democratic lawmaker Mary Cheh, would rename a block near the Russian Embassy “Boris Nemtsov Plaza,” the Washington Post reports.
Cheh said the street would serve as a reminder of democratic values and that the Russian Embassy would not be able to have a say in the final decision to rename the street.
“The man was assassinated, and he was someone fighting for democracy in Russia, and he is a hero,” Cheh said. “But, of course, he is not being treated as a hero in Russia.”
Senator Marco Rubio originally introduced the legislation in the U.S. Senate in February this year.
Cheh told the Washington Post however that because the legislation has not budged, she was approached by senators to introduce similar legislation on a local level.
Nine Democratic and Republican senators are sponsoring the bill that Cheh expects a hearing on early next year.
“No matter what is going on in this country, we should still be the beacon for fighting democracy,” Cheh said. “Once this was presented to me, it seemed so right.”
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