Washington DC has renamed the street outside the Russian embassy after a critic of Vladimir Putin who was assassinated.

The City Council voted unanimously to rename the northwest Washington street in honour of Boris Nemtsov, who was shot and killed outside the Kremlin in 2015.

The segment of Wisconsin Avenue in front of the Russian embassy will be renamed Boris Nemtsov Plaza on 27 February, the third anniversary of his death, according to Vladimir Kara-Murza, chair of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom.

In a statement the council said the decision was made to honour the "slain democracy activist."

Thousands march in Moscow to remember murdered opposition leader Nemtsov

Russian politicians called the move "immoral" and said it was an attempt to "plague" Russia.

Vladimir Jabarov, a Russian senator, told RIA he thought the decision was taken to "irritate Moscow," while Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the nationalist LDPR party, said US authorities "want to play dirty tricks in front of the Russian embassy."

In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march People march in Moscow in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov (Dmitry Lovetsky/AP) In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march A man prepares portraits of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov who was gunned down on Friday (AP/Pavel Golovkin) AP/Pavel Golovkin In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march People hold posters of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow (SERGEI KARPUKHIN/Reuters) (SERGEI KARPUKHIN/Reuters) In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march Riot police near the site of Russian opposition veteran leader Boris Nemtsov killing in central Moscow (SERGEI ILNITSKY/EPA) SERGEI ILNITSKY/EPA In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march People hold flags and posters during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow (MAXIM SHEMETOV/Reuters) MAXIM SHEMETOV/Reuters In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march Portraits of murdered Russian opposition veteran leader Boris Nemtsov are held by members of the crowd (EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY) In pictures: Marchers mourn Boris Nemtsov in Moscow Russian protest march People march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov (Pavel Golovkin/AP) AP

Last year, Russia sent five Chechen men accused of killing Mr Nemtsov to prison, but the late politician's allies said the investigation had been a cover-up and those who had ordered his killing remained at large.

Mr Nemtsov was shot four times in the back with a pistol while walking across the Bolsho Moskovoretsky Bridge with his girlfriend.

His killer then sped off in a getaway car.

Mr Nemtsov, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was a key opponent of the Russian President and his murder sent shockwaves through Russia's opposition supporters.