Sixty Russian officials linked to the pretrial death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky may be banned from visiting Canada and face financial sanctions in the country, Magnitsky's supporters said Tuesday.
The Canadian parliament's international human rights subcommittee discussed the move at a hearing attended by Hermitage head William Browder last week, said a statement published on the "Law and Order in Russia" blog, which is maintained by Magnitsky's supporters.
The United States, Britain and Poland are currently considering similar bills, with the Polish legislation capable of closing the whole Schengen zone to the blacklisted officials, among whom are investigators and prosecutors who kept Magnitsky in jail for 11 months until his death in November 2009.
Magnitsky, arrested on tax charges, died of health problems, but his supporters said he was intentionally denied medical help and the case against him was fabricated by corrupt officials whom he had accused of tax fraud.
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