MOSCOW, December 25 (RAPSI) – The Basmanny District Court of Moscow will review a refusal by investigators to reclassify the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov as a more serious crime, “an attempt on the life of a government or public figure”, RAPSI learnt in the courtroom on Friday.

Motions to reclassify the murder of Nemtsov as well as a complaint against the refusal to do so by the investigators were filed by the politican’s family.

Life behind bars is the maximum sentence for both crimes. However, while the minimum sentence for a murder is eight years, an attempt on the life of a government or public figure is punishable by at least 12 years. Thus, the co-defendants in the case could still be given a harsher sentence even if the court does not hand down the maximum term.

Nemtsov was murdered in central Moscow on the night of February 28. In the 1990s, the politician held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian Government. In the 2000s, he joined the opposition.

Five suspects were detained in the case, including the alleged murderer Zaur Dadayev, brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, and Khamzat Bakhayev who, according to investigators, provided his accomplices with information and then hid them after the murder. The fifth suspect, Temerlan Eskerkhanov is said to have monitored Nemtsov’s whereabouts. Investigators have not revealed the suspected role of the Gubashev brothers in the crime.

Dadayev initially testified against himself and the other suspects, but later retracted his testimony in court.