Yury Khashchvatski: Boris Nemtsov was big friend of Belarus

Prominent documentary director Yury Khashchavatski knew the Russian politician for many years.

Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in Moscow on February 27, was a big friend of Belarus, Yury Khashchavatski told Radio Racyja.

– Kyiv called Nemtsov the best friend of Ukraine in Moscow. Can we say he was the best friend of Belarus, too?

– Sure! He wasn't just a friend, which can be confirmed by many people, he also demonstrated a deep understanding of our situation.

– He visited our country after the biggest rallies and brutal repression of the regime and was denied entry for 5 years for that…

– He was deported not because our “elected” president didn't like it. He was deported because he was proving consistently the non-acceptance of dictatorial regimes by the civilised world. He directly said the things that were regarded sceptically and laughed at by seemingly wise and clever people in Ukraine and Russia. He said that post-Soviet dictatorships were homunculi that were raised in the Belarusian test tube. When Nemtsov was speaking about the Russian situation, he said in 9 out of 10 cases that it has roots in Belarus. I do not say that we were friends, but we always understood each other! Despite his friendly appearance, I have the impression that he was a man of strong spirit. It's needless to say about his manners and politeness that are so unusual for the Russian remote province where he came from. I now feel that he is with us and he is my friend...

Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on on Bolshoi Moskvoretsky bridge near the Kremlin on the evening of February 27. He was buried in Moscow yesterday.