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Moscow (dpa) - Six years after the murder of the Russian opposition activist Boris Nemtsov, the foundation named after him has honored the imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexej Navalny for his moral courage.

The 44-year-old will receive the Nemtsov Prize this year for his courage in defending democratic values ​​in Russia, the foundation announced on Saturday on the anniversary of the assassination of the former deputy head of government.

At the crime scene where Nemtsov was shot near the Kremlin on January 27, 2015, people, including US Ambassador John J. Sullivan, laid flowers.

The foundation set up by Nemtsov's daughter Shanna Nemzowa in Bonn commemorates the death of the politician every year with the award.

For many people in Russia, after the death of Nemtsov, the opposition leader Navalny, imprisoned in a prison camp, is seen as a new hope for an end to Vladimir Putin's presidency.

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Navalny is a "symbol of resistance against tyranny in the world," said the foundation.

She called for the immediate release of the Putin critic, who barely survived an assassination attempt with the chemical warfare agent Novichok in August.

"Alexej Navalny has not only shown incredible personal courage, but also made an enormous contribution to the exposure of corruption (...)."

While commemorating the assassination of Nemtsov, US Ambassador Sullivan recalled that the politician had fought for a “better future for his country and its fellow citizens”.

"He remains an inspiration for many who strive for justice, transparency, freedom," said the embassy in Moscow in the short message service Twitter.

Nemtsov's murder still raises many questions.

The EU has repeatedly urged Russia to further investigate the case.

In 2017, a Moscow court sentenced the alleged murderer and four accomplices from the North Caucasus to long prison terms.

Nevertheless, there were always doubts about this representation.

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The Nemtsov family complained that the real masterminds had never really been looked for.

The politician was considered a liberal reformer and was deputy head of government in the 1990s.

He later became the dazzling figurehead of the Russian opposition.

He was a bitter critic of Putin.

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Boris Nemtsov Foundation

US Embassy in Moscow on Twitter