Marginal opposition group PARNAS flamboyant leader Boris Nemtsov was embroiled in a scandal yesterday after a Russian on-line outlet published his private telephone conversations.

Nemtov has apologized for offensive remarks and profanity today. “I apologize to Zhenya Chirikova, Bozhena Rynska and all those who were affected or insulted in my private telephone conversations. I think, what I did was wrong. One has to hold back emotions and mind every word even when talking with relatives and friends over the phone,” he wrote in his blog.

He also promised to take the case to court, asking Russia’s Investigative Committee to probe into the phone-hacking scandal.

The Life News internet publication, famous for delivering scoops, published the the PARNAS leader’s telephone calls, presumably made in advance to the 10 December rally. Nemtsov derided his supporters saying they were “chemical internet types” and labeled fragmentized opposition leaders “scoundrels”, “bitches” and “prostitutes”.

The publication of Nemtsov’s talks got backlash among Russian pro-liberal bloggers - they condemned phone hacking. In fact, they were even more indignant at the fact of Nemtsov’s telephone having been hacked than at what he really said.

“Methods are sometimes more compromising than the result reached”, twitted Evgeniya Chirikova, leader of For the Khimki Forest movement.

Pro-liberal Ekho Moskvi radio station editor-in-chief Aleksei Venediktov said that the publication of Nemtsov’s telephone talks would attract more people to the 24 December rally. “I think, more people will come, because everyone can put himself in Boris Nemtsov’s shoes and understand that their phone could be tapped and leaked to the media. Everyone feels humiliated by this violation of Constitution,” said Venediktov.