Amnesty International Demands the Russian Government Halt the Unprecedented Posthumous Prosecution of Sergei Magnitsky Which Starts Today

January 28, 2013

The forthcoming trial of dead whistle-blowing Russian lawyer is a “travesty” and a “sinister” attempt to deflect attention from those who committed the crimes he exposed, said Amnesty International, ahead of the posthumous trial which begins in Moscow today.

John Dalhuisen, Director of Europe and Central Asia for Amnesty International, said:

“This posthumous prosecution is farcical, but unfortunately also deeply sinister.”

“The Russian authorities’ intention to proceed with the criminal prosecution of Sergei Magnitsky violates his fundamental rights even in death, in particular the right to defend himself in person.”

“The trial of a deceased person and the forcible involvement of his relatives is a dangerous precedent that would open a whole new chapter in Russia’s worsening human rights record.”

“The authorities must halt this travesty,” said John Dalhuisen.

The trial will be taking place at 11am, January 28, 2012 at the Tverskoi Court in Moscow (25a Tsvetnoi boulevard). The presiding judge is Judge Alisov. This is the same judge who presided over a special proceeding in March 2011 in which Vyacheslav Khlebnikov, an unemployed ex-convict was assigned a significant part of the blame for the complex $230 million tax rebate fraud uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky. In that same ruling by Judge Alisov, Russian state employees were exonerated in that fraud.

Amnesty international
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20594

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