European Parliament seeks probe of Nemtsov's death

STRASBOURG, France, March 12 (UPI) -- A European Parliament resolution Thursday called for an international investigation into the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

Nemtsov, 55, who was gathering evidence on Russia's involvement in Ukraine, was shot to death Feb. 27 as he walked on a Moscow street. He was a critic of the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was helping plan a demonstration opposing Russian involvement in Ukraine, scheduled for two days after his death.

In the strongly-worded resolution adopted at a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, European Parliament ministers called for an independent and international probe of the incident. It identified Russia as moving "contrary to a functioning democracy" and advised the Kremlin to stop "all pressure, repressive acts and intimidation" of opposition leaders and media.

It referred to Nemtsov's death as the "most significant political murder in recent Russian history."

It also condemned Russia's denial of European leaders to attend Nemtsov's funeral and its failure to cooperate in the investigation of the Malaysian airlines plane shot down over Ukraine in July 2014. In expressing support for democracy in Russia, it referred to Nemtsov as a person who "committed his life to a more democratic, prosperous, open Russia, and to strong partner relationships between Russia and its neighbors."