Putin pins a medal on the cop who investigated Boris Nemtsov's assassination

Vladimir Putin has awarded Russia’s Order of Courage to Nikolai Tutevich, the head of the team that investigated the February 2015 assassination of former Deputy Prime Minister turned opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. Five Chechen men were later sentenced to between 11 and 20 years in prison for carrying out the murder, but police never identified the person responsible for ordering the attack, though lawyers for the Nemtsov family believe it was Ruslan Geremeyev, the deputy commander of the “Sever” Chechen battalion.

Russia’s Order of Courage recognizes selfless acts of valor in protecting public order, rescuing people, and fighting crime.

Nikolai Tutevich took over the Nemtsov case investigation in May 2015, replacing Igor Krasnov, who headed the Federal Investigative Committee’s major case squad. Tutevich reportedly specializes in crimes committed by Chechens. He led the investigation into the murder of Chechen State Duma deputy Ruslan Yamadaev — another case where the perpetrators but not the mastermind were identified and apprehended.

In July 2017, after a Moscow court sentenced the five men convicted of killing Nemtsov, Meduza shared five unanswered questions about the case. Read them here.