Russia Bans Bill Browder’s New Book “Red Notice”, a Searing Exposé Featuring Putin’s Involvement in the Cover up of Sergei Magnitsky’s Murder
January 29, 2015
Russia Bans Bill Browder’s New Book “Red Notice”, a Searing Exposé Featuring Putin’s Involvement in the Cover up of Sergei Magnitsky’s Murder
29 January 2015 — On February 3rd 2015, Bill Browder, CEO and founder of Hermitage Capital Management, launches an explosive book about Russia entitled “Red Notice: A true story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice” (UK edition: “Red Notice, How I Became Putin’s Number One Enemy” published on 5th February.)
“Red Notice” describes Browder’s fight against corruption and impunity in Russia and is a devastating exposé of how Putin and his regime will do anything to illegally acquire wealth, including torture and cover-up of murder.
“Anybody who previously thought that Putin is a normal leader or that Russia is a normal country will think otherwise after reading this book,” says Bill Browder.
“Red Notice” will be published in 14 countries, but has so far been blocked by all major Russian publishers.
Numerous Russian publishing houses, ranging from Eksmo to Alpina, have avoided involvement in this book, for apparent fear of reprisal from the Putin regime.
Members of Pussy Riot, a Russian punk group who have been jailed for an anti-Putin protest, described the Kremlin position on Browder in their endorsement of “Red Notice” by saying:
“Bill Browder has become one of the most sincerely hated men in the Kremlin over the years — and that is something to be incredibly proud of… This book shows the difference that one person can make when they refuse to back down, as told by a fellow soldier in the battle to hold Putin to account.”
A Russian version of “Red Notice” will be available in the Russian language and published outside of Russia.
“This marks the return of the days of Soviet “samizdat” when books critical of the Soviet government were banned. Many were published abroad, and then had to be secretly copied, circulated by hand and passed from reader to reader,” says Browder.
Some of the Soviet Union’s most acclaimed ‘samizdat’ authors were Varlam Shalamov and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, both former inmates of Stalin’s gulag, who drew global attention to Joseph Stalin’s forced labor camps, where millions of Soviet citizens were summarily interned and many ultimately died.
To learn more, visit the ‘Red Notice’ book website: http://billbrowder.com
For more information, please contact:
Magnitsky Justice Campaign
+44 2074401777
e‑mail: info@lawandorderinrussia.org
website: www.lawandorderinrussia.org
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/hvIuVI
Twitter: @KatieFisher__
Interpol Definitively Rejects Russia’s Request to Issue an International Arrest Warrant for Bill Browder
January 26, 2015
Interpol Definitively Rejects Russia’s Request to Issue an International Arrest Warrant for Bill Browder
26 January 2015 — Interpol, the international police organization, has definitively rejected Russia’s attempt to add Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, to its Red Notice international arrest warrant system. This is Russia’s third unsuccessful attempt to issue an Interpol Red Notice for Browder. A Red Notice would have meant that Browder would be arrested at any international border and potentially extradited back to Russia. Over the last eight weeks, Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files has reviewed Russia’s application and concluded that the Russian warrant was illegitimate because it was “predominantly political.”
This attempt by the Russian government follows a long series of acts of retaliation against Browder for his role in the successful passage of the US Magnitsky Act, which imposes visa sanctions and asset freezes on Russian officials who killed Sergei Magnitsky, were involved in the $230 million theft he had uncovered, or perpetrated other human rights abuses.
Previously, Interpol refused two similar requests from Russia for Browder. In the summer of 2014, Interpol said Russia’s requests to arrest Browder were invalid because they violated Interpol’s Constitution which prohibits the organization to be used for political persecution.
Instead of complying with the previous two Interpol’s rulings, the Russian authorities began an intensive high-level lobbying campaign to influence Interpol to reverse their decision. In January 2014, the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office dispatched officials to Lyon, France, where Interpol is headquartered, who persuaded Interpol to re-open the Browder case. To help convince Interpol, Russian President Putin invited General Secretary of Interpol Ron Noble to his private residence near Moscow at the end of October 2014. Russian authorities also lobbied Interpol member states to elect their representative to Interpol’s governing body, the Executive Committee.
To make their latest application to Interpol for Browder, the Russian authorities used the posthumous trial against Browder’s murdered Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. This trial was condemned around the world as a gross abuse of justice.
“This latest episode with Interpol is an important example of how Putin applies Russia’s sovereign power to abuse its membership in international organizations. While the Interpol decision was the correct and right one, there are many other victims of the Russian regime in less high-profile cases who are being unjustly arrested in foreign countries as they flee political persecution in Russia. It’s time that Russia’s failing judicial system is taken into account by international organizations for their constant abuse for political or corrupt motives,” said Bill Browder.
Next week, on February 3rd 2015, Bill Browder will be responding with his own “Red Notice” on Putin’s Russia.
Browder’s book entitled, “Red Notice: A true story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice” (UK edition: “Red Notice, How I Became Putin’s Number One Enemy”) will be launched in the US and in the UK. Browder’s “Red Notice” will show that Putin is more akin to a crime boss than a legitimate world leader.
To learn more visit the Red Notice book website: http://billbrowder.com
For more information, please contact:
Magnitsky Justice Campaign
+44 2074401777
e‑mail: info@lawandorderinrussia.org
website: www.lawandorderinrussia.org
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/hvIuVI
Twitter: @KatieFisher__
Russian Investigative Committee Refuses Application from Magnitsky’s Mother to Bring to Account Those Responsible for Use of Rubber Batons on her Son in Detention
January 16, 2015
The Russian Investigative Committee has refused the application from Sergei Magnitsky’s mother to bring to account those responsible for the use of rubber batons on her son before his death in detention.
Mr Veseliev, Deputy head of section of the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee, stated in refusing the application that the decision to terminate the investigation was based on “the collection of gathered evidence” and “was checked by the head of the investigative body and prosecutor, no grounds to change the decision were found.” The decree does not provide any concrete ground in relation to the decision not to investigate the use of rubber batons.
The application from Magnitsky’s mother stated that the use of rubber batons was confirmed by the post-mortem medical examination, yet the investigation closed the criminal case into Magnitsky’s death without bringing to account those responsible. Her application said:
“I request to conduct a full probe by investigative means into the use of special means – metallic handcuffs and rubber batons — on 16 November 2009 at the time when he [Magnitsky] was delivered in grave condition to Matrosskaya Tishina detention center for the purpose of providing him with emergency medical care.”
Sergei Magnitsky died on 16 November 2009. Despite the conclusions from four independent expert examinations that he was tortured in detention, the Russian Investigative Committee has refused to investigate.
Russian InvestigatoroftheInvestigativeCommitteeAndreiStrizhov, who closed the Magnitsky death case investigation,andDeputyGeneralProsecutorofRussiaVictorGrin, the overseeingprosecutor, were bothsanctionedby the US Government attheendofDecember 2014 fortheirrolein concealing the legal liability of persons responsible for Magnitsky’s ill-treatment and death, in accordance with the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012
Следственный комитет России отказал матери Сергея Магнитского в расследовании обстоятельств применения к нему спецсредств перед гибелью
January 16, 2015
Следственный комитет России отказал матери Сергея Магнитского в проверке обстоятельств применения к ее сыну спецсредств – резиновой палки и наручников в следственном изоляторе «Матросская тишина».
В постановлении заместителя руководителя первого отдела Главного следственного управления Следственного комитета А.М. Весельева говорится, что решение о прекращении уголовного дела по факту гибели Сергея Магнитского было принято «на основании совокупности собранных доказательств» и «было проверено руководителем следственного органа и прокурором, оснований для его отмены не усмотрено». В постановлении не указано, по какой причине следствием отказано в привлечении к ответственности лиц, причастных к применению к Магнитскому перед гибелью резиновых дубинок и наручников.
В заявлении матери Магнитского в Следственный комитет подчеркивалось, что факт причинения Магнитскому телесных повреждений подтверждается проведенной экспертизой, однако, в постановлении следствия о прекращении уголовного дела этому не дано оценки. В ее обращении говорилось:
«Прошу обязать следователя Стрижова А.А. провести полноценную проверку следственным путем по факту применения спецсредсвт – металлических наручников и резиновой палки 16 ноября 2009 года в период, когда он в тяжелом состоянии был доставлен в СИЗО «Матросская тишина» для оказания ему неотложной медицинской помощи.»
Сергей Магнитский погиб 16 ноября 2009 года. Несмотря на заключения четырех независимых экспертиз о применении к нему пыток и истязаний в следственном изоляторе, Следственный комитет отказался привлечь причастных лиц к ответственности.
Следователь Следственного комитета России Андрей Стрижов, подписавший постановление о прекращении расследования по факту гибели Магнитского в связи с «отсутствием события преступления», а также надзирающий за следствием заместитель Генерального прокурора Виктор Гринь в декабре 2014 года были включены в американский санкционный список лиц, которым запрещен въезд в США и чьи активы подлежат аресту в связи с их ролью в деле Магнитского.