Russia bars foreigners from attending leading opposition figure's burial

Russia has barred senior officials from Poland and Latvia from gaining entry into Moscow to attend the funeral of key Russian opposition figure, Boris Nemtsov, the Guardian UK reports.

The Polish foreign ministry said its Senate speaker, Bogdan Borusewicz, was refused entry by Moscow in reprisal for EU sanctions against Russia’s upper house of parliament speaker, Valentina Matviyenko.

Also, the Latvian MEP Sandra Kalniete told reporters that she had been refused entry at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport but was not given a reasonable explanation for the ban.

Nemtsov who was murdered on Friday is lying in state at the Sakharov Centre where several including Nemtsov's 88-year old mother have gathered before his funeral at the Troyekurovskoy cemetery later today.

No high-ranking Russian politicians, however attended the ceremony while Russian president, Vladmir Putin was represented by Garry Minkh, his representative in the Russian parliament.

Nemtsov was shot on Friday while walking with his girlfriend across a bridge near the Kremlin and althoughno suspects have been arrested, Nemtsov supporters suggest the Kremlin could be responsible in retaliation for Nemtsov’s criticism of Putin, while authorities have suggested several possible motives, including a provocation aimed at tarnishing the Russian president’s image.