MOSCOW, April 11 (RAPSI) – Testimony given by Anzor Gubashev, one of the defendants in a criminal case over killing opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, during investigation period reads that spot of the politician’s murder was chosen spontaneously, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

Gubashev has changed his position since then and now denies his guilt. His previous testimony was read out during the hearings in the Moscow District Military Court by prosecutor Maria Semenenko.

According to the testimony, Nemtsov was killed by Anzor Gubashev, Zaur Dadayev and Beslan Shavanov. Gubashev has allegedly been stalking the politician since January 2015. On the day of Nemtsov’s murder, alleged killers tracked the politician’s movements but lost him and were going to quit when they spotted him again in a café.

Testimony reads that defendants figured out that Nemtsov will walk along the bridge. Then Dadayev allegedly followed the politician, shot him in the back, jumped into a car and left with the rest of the group. Spot of the murder was chosen spontaneously, the testimony reads, because the group was presented with an opportunity.

Footage of Gubashev’s testimony was analyzed for potential pressure put by investigators on the suspect. According to expert conclusions, Gubashev’s speech was not rehearsed and that there are no signs of manipulation or threats in the speech of an investigator.

On April 6, the court heard testimony of another defendant Shadid Gubashev made during investigation. The testimony said that Gubashev did not participate in the murder and learnt about it from his brother Anzor. Allegedly, Anzor Gubashev, Zaur Dadayev and Beslan Shavanov killed Nemtsov because the politician offended prophet Mohammed and Muslims.

Boris Nemtsov, 55, a prominent opposition politician, who held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian Government in the 1990s and in the 2000s joined the opposition, was shot down in the center of Moscow as he walked across a bridge near the Kremlin on the night of February 28, 2015.

Pretrial investigation into the case has been completed. Zaur Dadayev, brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev have been charged along with Tamerlan Eskerkhanov with contract murder and illegal acquisition, carrying and keeping of weapons. Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be the mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list. Beslan Shavanov reportedly killed himself when police tried to arrest him.

Investigators believe that the conspirators in the murder had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime: they studied Nemtsov’s schedule, spied upon him, prepared suitable weapons, vehicles and communication equipment. On the day of the murder, 28 February, after following Nemtsov from his home, at about 11.31 p.m. Dadayev, having received a signal from Anzor Gubashev and Shavanov that the situation was suitable for the murder, shot Nemtsov at least six times, according to investigation.