Roundup: Russia offers reward for valuable information on Nemtsov's death

MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) - Russian Investigative Committee offered a reward of about 50,000 U.S. dollars for valuable information on the recent murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

"Operational units involved in the investigation (of Nemtsov's murder) are willing to pay a reward of 3 million rubles (over 48,900 U.S. dollars) for the information valuable for the investigation," an online statement said, adding that anonymity of the informants would be guaranteed.

Nemtsov, a prominent Russian opposition leader, was killed Friday in central Moscow city at 11:40 p.m. (2040 GMT). The Investigative Committee has brought a criminal case on charges of murder and illegal possession of arms.

According to the committee, the key witness Anna Duritskaya, a Ukrainian woman who accompanied Nemtsov at the time of the murder, is still under investigation with tightened security protective measures.

Local media reported that the sketch of the killer has been made according to witnesses' descriptions. According to RIA Novosti news agency, police are searching for a 170-175 centimeters tall man with a short haircut, wearing blue jeans and a brown sweater.

The committee said that telephone calls of Nemtsov and CCTV footage taken that night along the route of the politician are also being studied.

"There is no doubt that the crime was carefully planned," the committee said. "It is obvious that the organizers and perpetrators were aware of (Nemtsov's) proposed route."

Yet no clear result or evidence has come out, while investigators are considering several theories including a possible contract killing.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine crisis, the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris and Nemtsov's business activity are also mentioned as possible reasons that led to the murder of Nemtsov.

As the tragedy happened just a day before the opposition march scheduled on Sunday with a anti-crisis theme, the rally was temporarily changed into a commemorative march of Nemtsov.

Thousands of people laid flowers and lit candles on Saturday on the bridge near the murder site, while mourning activities continued Sunday afternoon as around 21,000 people gathered for the commemorative march with portraits, banners and flowers in their hands.

The crowd moved quietly and slowly along the street in central Moscow and down to the Kremlin embankment towards the bridge where Nemtsov was shot. No violence was reported during the process.

The march has been approved ahead by municipal authorities and was monitored by police on the spot, as well as observers from the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.

Rallies in memory of Nemtsov also took place in several other Russian cities including St. Petersburg. Endi