III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 96 

Condemning the murder of Boris Nemtsov, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 4, 2015 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. GRAHAM) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the murder of Boris Nemtsov, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas, on February 27, 2015, Russian opposition leader 

and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was 

brutally murdered in the shadow of the Kremlin in Russia’s capitol city Moscow; 

Whereas Mr. Nemtsov was a man of conviction and principle 

who dedicated his life to the fight against corruption in 

Russia and sought to advance democracy, human rights, 

free speech, free market reforms, and the rule of law 

throughout his life; 

Whereas in December 2011, Mr. Nemtsov helped mobilize the 

largest anti-Kremlin demonstrations since the early 

1990s, leading tens of thousands of Russians to march 


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in protest of widespread fraud and corruption in the parliamentary elections; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation responded by passing a series of harsh laws that vastly expanded the definition of treason, increased government 

control over the media, and limited the scope and activities of opposition parties and civil society organizations; 

Whereas Russian authorities exploit these laws for their own 

political ends and use them to intimidate members of the 

opposition, human rights activists, and others with whom 

they disagree; 

Whereas Mr. Nemtsov strongly opposed these and other repressive measures, and expressed concerns that President 

Vladimir Putin’s policies were threatening democracy and 

rule of law in Russia; 

Whereas Mr. Nemtsov strongly criticized Russia’s annexation 

of Crimea and military activities in eastern Ukraine, 

blaming President Putin for a ‘‘mad, aggressive and 

deadly policy of war against Ukraine’’ and lying to the 

Russian people about this policy; 

Whereas Mr. Nemtsov had been investigating Russia’s role in 

Ukraine and was preparing to release an investigative report conclusively proving the participation of the Russian 

Armed Forces in the invasion of Ukraine and revealing 

the extent to which the Government of the Russian Federation was involved; 

Whereas, prior to his death, Mr. Nemtsov planned to lead a 

Spring March on March 1, 2015, to protest the Russian 

military’s presence in Ukraine; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro 

Poroshenko stated that he believed Mr. Nemtsov had 


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been murdered because he planned to disclose this evidence of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine; 

Whereas President Putin called critics of his government ‘‘a 

fifth column’’ and ‘‘national traitors’’, inviting violent attacks upon them and sponsoring a campaign of hatred, 

intimidation, and aggression; 

Whereas, on February 20, 2015, a new movement called 

Anti-Maidan marched freely through Moscow calling for 

violence against this ‘‘fifth column’’, with signs naming 

Mr. Nemtsov as an enemy of Russia; 

Whereas Mr. Nemtsov’s colleagues stated that he was under 

state surveillance shortly before his murder and he was 

murdered in one of the most heavily secured areas of 

Moscow, suggesting the Government of Russia’s culpability; 

Whereas other prominent figures in Russia who have criticized President Putin and his government have also been 

assassinated, including Vladimir Golovlyov, Yuri 

Shchekochikhin, Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander 

Litvinenko, Magomed Yevloyev, Stanslav Markelov, and 

Natalia Estermirova; 

Whereas none of the individuals responsible for these assassinations have been brought to justice, raising serious 

questions about the ability of Russian authorities to conduct a credible investigation into Mr. Nemtsov’s murder; 

Whereas a culture of impunity and lack of accountability prevail in Putin’s Russia, with law enforcement, judicial, and 

investigative bodies often used to target political opponents and civil society, and thus lacking credibility to 

conduct an investigation themselves; 


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Whereas the Russia Investigative Committee released a list of 

motives for Mr. Nemtsov’s murder which do not take into 

account his role as a prominent government critic, surveillance cameras were allegedly turned off for maintenance during the time of his murder, and Kremlin-sponsored channels are inciting fear and hatred by propagating conspiracy theories that blame the United States 

for his assassination; 

Whereas these continuing assassinations are intended to intimidate the people of Russia and undermine political and 

social reform in the Russian Federation; and 

Whereas support for rule of law and human rights in the 

Russian Federation will help ensure its future as a free, 

strong, and vibrant society and enduring stability in the 

Russian Federation will come from an active civil society 

in which democracy flourishes: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the courageous work of Boris 

3 Nemtsov, a tireless advocate for reform and human 

4 rights who sacrificed his life in the fight for freedom 

5 and democracy in the Russian Federation; 

6 (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the 

7 family, friends, and colleagues of Mr. Nemtsov, as 

8 well as to all the people of Russia; 

9 (3) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, 

10 the murder of Boris Nemtsov on February 27, 2015, 

11 as well as the assassinations of numerous other 

12 human rights and democracy activists in the RusVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:01 Mar 05, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR96.IS SR96

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1 sian Federation since President Vladimir Putin 

2 came to office; 

3 (4) urges the President to seek a United Na4 tions Security Council resolution that establishes an 

5 independent investigation into the assassination; 

6 (5) calls upon the Government of Russia to 

7 support and facilitate an independent inquiry into 

8 the murder of Mr. Nemtsov; 

9 (6) urges the Government of the Russian Fed10 eration to release all political prisoners and to end 

11 the ongoing harassment of political opponents, 

12 human rights activists, and journalists; 

13 (7) calls for the restoration of an independent 

14 judiciary and the rule of law in the Russian Federa15 tion, and an end to all restrictions on the media and 

16 freedom of speech; 

17 (8) urges the President to add the names of 

18 persons that Mr. Nemtsov requested be added to the 

19 visa ban list as provided for under the Sergei 

20 Manitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 

21 (title IV of Public Law 112–208) and continue to 

22 sanction human rights violators in the Russian Fed23 eration; 

24 (9) urges the Organization for Security and Co25 operation in Europe (OSCE) to obtain, examine, and 


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1 publish the investigative report Mr. Nemtsov 

2 planned to release as part of the OSCE observer role 

3 in eastern Ukraine to demonstrate the inability of 

4 the Government of the Russian Federation to sup5 press the truth Mr. Nemtsov represented; and 

6 (10) urges the President to significantly in7 crease United States Government support to like8 minded partners and human rights activists in the 

9 Russian Federation to create a more vibrant civil so10 ciety and open media environment in which democ11 racy can flourish. 

Æ 


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