Mourners Gather For Boris Nemtsov Funeral

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Thousands of people have lined the streets of Moscow to pay their final respects to Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead four days ago.

Mourners queued from the early hours of the morning to file past Mr Nemtsov's body as it lay in state in the Sakharov Centre in central Moscow.

Even after the four-hour viewing came to an end, a line of people spanning roughly half a mile waited in the cold to enter the centre.

One mourner told Sky News' Moscow Correspondent Katie Stallard he was a "great politician" whose death was a "tragedy for Russia".

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Gallery: Boris Nemtsov: Funeral Of Murdered Putin Opponent Held In Moscow

People stand in line at a memorial service before the funeral of leading Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in Moscow

Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued to pay their respects. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead by an unknown gunman last week as he walked with his girlfriend

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The apparent assassination has shocked Russia. President Putin has blamed the killing on enemies trying to discredit the Kremlin

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Continue through for more pictures of the memorial service and funeral

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His coffin was then carried to the Troekurovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow for his funeral and burial.

The former deputy prime minister and long-time critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin was gunned down on a bridge near the Kremlin while walking with his girlfriend late on Friday.

No suspects have been arrested following the murder, considered the most shocking political assassination of Mr Putin's rule.

Leading Russian opposition figures have suggested the murder was politically motivated, although authorities deny any involvement, saying it could have been a provocation aimed at tarnishing Mr Putin's image.

The chief witness to the killing, Mr Nemtsov's Ukrainian girlfriend Anna Duritskaya, who has now left Russia after claiming she was barred from leaving by investigators, has said she did not catch sight of the killers.

The Kremlin has pledged to hold a full investigation into what Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has described as a "heinous crime".

Although one mourner told Sky's Katie Stallard she did not feel confident the killers would be brought to justice.

"Even if we have some results, I wouldn't be able to trust them," she said.

Several leading international figures are among the crowds of mourners, including former British prime minister Sir John Major and US ambassador John Tefft.

"If anyone believes that his (Nemtsov's) voice will be silenced by his murder, then I believe they have made a very serious error," the former prime minister told Sky News.

He called for a "thorough, comprehensive investigation" into the killing.

Meanwhile a number of Polish and Latvian officials say they were barred from entering Russia to attend the funeral.

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Gallery: Tributes Left At Scene Of Boris Nemtsov Murder

Supporters of Boris Nemtsov have left flowers at the scene of his murder near St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow

The Russian opposition politician, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot four times in the back within sight of the Kremlin

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Poland's foreign ministry said Polish senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz was refused entry in retaliation for European Union sanctions over Ukraine.

Latvian MEP Sandra Kalniete said she was not given a reasonable explanation for the ban, but told news agency AFP she thought her "clear and explicit" opposition to Russia's actions in Ukraine may have played a role.

According to colleagues, Mr Nemtsov had been working on a report which apparently included concrete evidence that Russia was directly involved in the separatist movement which erupted in Ukraine last year.

He had also spoken of his fear of assassination following the murders of a string of other prominent opposition figures since Mr Putin came to power 15 years ago.

On Sunday tens of thousands of protesters marched through the streets of central Moscow to honour his legacy. Opposition leaders said the protest was also aimed at stopping a "campaign of hate" directed at those who question Mr Putin's rule.

Many of the demonstrators carried portraits Mr Nemtsov, as well as placards declaring "I am not afraid" and "He died for Russia's future".

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