Moscow Authorities Remove Improvised Nemtsov Memorial

A memorial to Boris Nemtsov on the bridge in Moscow where he was shot dead in February 2015.

Moscow authorities have removed an improvised memorial near the Kremlin where Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was gunned down last year.

The OVD-Info online news portal reported on May 9 that police detained two activists, who were watching over the site overnight, and removed the memorial that included flowers and posters.

The activists, whose names have not been disclosed, were released several hours later.

Activists have organized a night watch at Nemtsov's memorial because it has been vandalized several times since January.

Nemtsov was fatally shot on a bridge near the Kremlin on February 27, 2015.

Several men from the North Caucasus region have been arrested and charged with Nemtsov's killing.

Nemtsov's relatives and lawyers have expressed skepticism about the probe, insisting the killing must have been ordered by high-ranking Russian officials.

With reporting by OVD-Info