Russian shot dead in Austria, police probe political motive

BERLIN (AP) — Police in Austria say they have detained a 47-year-old Russian man after a 43-year-old compatriot was shot dead near Vienna late Saturday. Austrian media report the killing is being investigated as a possible political assassination. Austrian news agency APA reported the victim was an ethnic Chechen who had lived in Austria for more than a decade. The Kurier daily reported the victim was a critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia’s Chechnya region. Lower Austria police said Sunday that the suspect didn’t resist when he was detained by armed officers in Linz. Police said the circumstances of the crime were unclear, but that the investigation is being handled by regional anti-terrorism authorities.