Judge jails killer of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov for 20 years

The convicted killer of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors on Wednesday had asked for Zaur Dadayev to be sentenced to life. It was not immediately clear why the judge chose the shorter term.

Four others convicted in involvement in gunning down Mr Nemtsov on a bridge near the Kremlin in 2015 were sentenced to terms ranging from 11 to 19 years on Thursday. Mr Nemtsov was a top opponent of President Vladimir Putin and the killing sent shockwaves through Russia’s beleaguered opposition supporters.

Dadayev was an officer in the security forces of Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Mr Nemtsov’s allies have criticised investigators for not studying a possible role of Mr Kadyrov in the killing.