We are enormously shocked and saddened to learn of Friday’s assassination in Moscow of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. In 2011, Mr Nemtsov took part in our 20th anniversary celebrations when he joined a panel discussion at the Forum 2000 Annual Conference co-hosted by CERGE-EI to consider the issues facing legal institutions in transition countries. We would like to pay tribute to this staunch and fearless opponent of corruption. His violent and premature death is a huge loss to all supporters of democracy.