Putin critic Boris Nemtsov killed: Mother of witness speaks out

The Ukrainian girlfriend of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov faces constant psychological pressure from Moscow authorities and fears she will be implicated in his death, her mother told CNN.

Model Anna Duritskaya, 23, was walking with Nemtsov on Friday night when a gunman shot the politician about 100 meters (330 feet) from the Kremlin.

"She was crying and she was saying Boris had been killed and he's lying next to me," said her mother, Inna Duritskaya. "She was in such shock she couldn't say anything else."

Duritskaya said her daughter was questioned until 2 a.m. Monday. She said she fears authorities will implicate her daughter in the death because they have threatened to take her attorney away from her.

The model had been staying at the apartment of an aide to Nemtsov under constant police guard.

Late Monday, Yevhen Perebyinis, a spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, tweeted that Duritskaya had left Moscow for Kiev.

The assassination has spawned a flood of conspiracy theories. Nemtsov was one of President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken critics, and many suspect the Kremlin of either direct or indirect involvement.

Inna Duritskaya said her daughter knew the risks of getting involved with the prominent opposition leader.

"Of course when I heard she was dating him it was a bit of a shock," she said.

"Then when I met him in person I liked him a lot as a person. He was straightforward, he treated my daughter very well, she was happy. And I couldn't influence it anyway; my daughter did what she wanted to. Of course, I was worried and scared, but I couldn't change it anyway."

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