MOSCOW, July 5 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) – A prosecutor will seek punishment for five defendants in the case over the murder of prominent Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on July 12, spokesperson for the Moscow District Military Court Irina Zhirnova told RAPSI on Wednesday.

In late June, jurors found all the defendants guilty of involvement in the politician’s murder and illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition. According to the verdict, they did not deserve leniency.

The jury panel stated that one of defendants, Zaur Dadayev, conspired with others, was stalking and collecting data on Nemtsov, prepared murder and killed the politician himself, shooting his victim at least six times from an unidentified gun.

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.

Investigators believe that the conspirators in the murder had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime and spied on the victim.

Five men, Zaur Dadayev, brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev, and Temirlan Eskerkhanov have been charged with contract murder, illegal acquisition, carrying and keeping of weapons.

Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be a mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list in November 2015. Beslan Shavanov, who allegedly was also implicated in the crime, reportedly killed himself when police tried to arrest him.

Criminal prosecution of Shavanov was dismissed because of his death. Investigation into Mukhudinov is underway.