A solicitor representing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in pretrial detention last year, said Magnitsky's mother has been harassed by undercover reporters preparing a critical documentary about her son.

Magnitsky — who worked for Hermitage Capital, formerly the largest foreign investment fund in Russia — died at age 37 when the pancreatitis he developed in jail was left untreated. He had been arrested on fraud charges, but supporters allege that he was silenced as punishment for uncovering an $230 million tax fraud scheme by the police officers who detained him.

Magnitsky's former associate Jamison Firestone said Friday that Magnitsky's mother was being followed by journalists from a Kremlin-friendly television network. He said the reporters even entered Natalia Magnitskaya's home claiming to be real estate agents. Firestone alleged that NTV was preparing a show critical of Magnitsky. An NTV spokeswoman was unavailable for comment.