Boris Nemtsov’s partner Anna Duritskaya allowed to leave Russia

Ebony Bowden
Mar 03, 2015, updated Mar 09, 2015

UPDATE: Ms Duritskaya safely returned to the Ukranian capital of Kiev on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old model girlfriend of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov says she is being held against her will after being the only person to witness his murder.

Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya was with Mr Nemtsov on Friday evening when he was killed by a gunman outside the Kremlin as they walked home from a restaurant.

• Thousands of Russians march for slain hero
• Putin’s arch rival shot dead

Speaking with an independent Russian television channel, Ms Duritskaya said she was staying in an apartment in Moscow with a round-the-clock guard, and being held against her will.

Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead last week.

Russian police have refused her from leaving, saying she is being detained “for her security”.

She said she had been questioned by police for more than three days.

The couple were walking home through Moscow after dining at an upmarket restaurant when a gunman shot the 55-year-old four times.

Ms Duritskaya said didn’t see the man who killed Mr Nemtsov, only a car speeding away.

“I don’t know where he came from, but he was behind [me],” she said of the gunman.

“I didn’t see the man. I turned round and all I saw was a light-coloured car. I saw neither the brand nor the licence plate of the car that was driving away.”

The couple had been together for several years, and the model said she was in a “difficult psychological state” after witnessing her partner’s murder.

Investigators are now looking into different links in relation to Mr Nemtsov’s killing, and are offering a three million rouble reward for more information.

The former deputy prime minister was an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was a well known anti-corruption crusader.

Tens of thousands of Russians attended demonstrations over the weekend to pay tribute to Mr Nemtsov.