MOSCOW, February 2 - RAPSI. Investigators have recognized opposition leader Boris Nemtsov as an aggrieved party in the case concerning publication of his telephone conversations, a law enforcement source told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

Lifenews online tabloid published the politician's conversations with his colleagues in which he spoke about protest rallies, their organizers and ordinary people using foul language.

"Yesterday Nemtsov was subject to interrogation and as a result was recognized as an aggrieved party," the source said and added that currently investigators are busy establishing the supposed offenders.

Earlier investigators said that they opened a criminal case regarding the publication of Nemtsov's telephone calls.

Nevertheless, LifeNews lawyer Tatiana Khokhlova told Izvestia newspaper that her client did not brake the law by posting Nemtsov's tapped conversations because by doing this the publication allegedly protected public interests and executed its mass media duty, i.e. "informed people timely and properly".