Two Suspects Detained in Murder of Putin Critic

On Saturday, Russian authorities announced that they had detained two suspects in connection with the brazen slaying* of former deputy prime minister Boris Y. Nemtsov, The New York Times reports.

Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov named the suspects as as Anzor Kubashev and Zaur Dadayev, residents of the North Caucasus region that has long rebelled against Russian rule.

Many expressed skepticism over the announcement, as Russian authorities have frequently used the largely Muslim Caucasian minority as a "convenient scapegoat" for the country's troubles.

Unexpected restraint from Putin not to pin the Nemtsov murder on a network gay Nazi Chechens working for the EU and al Qaeda.

— David Frum (@davidfrum) March 7, 2015

Shocker - Russia arrests Chechens in Murder of Boris Nemtsov. Ruled out Elders of Zion, CIA and Paris Hilton http://t.co/oAaypyn1FD

— Rob Cox (@rob1cox) March 7, 2015

Previously, opposition leader Vladimir Milov alleged that Putin's government was connected to the killing. For their part, federal investigators suggested that Islamic extremists or even fellow members of the opposition could be behind the murder.

[Image via AP Images]