Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow pretrial prison a year ago after accusing police officials of graft, was posthumously given Transparency International’s Integrity Award for his crusade against corruption Friday.
Magnitsky’s mother, Natalya, accepted the prize at a ceremony in Bangkok, Interfax reported.
“Sergei Magnitsky did what to most people seems impossible: He battled as a lone individual against the power of an entire state. He believed in the rule of law and integrity, and died for his belief,” the watchdog said in a statement.
Magnitsky’s supporters say the tax evasion charges against him were fabricated by officials whom he implicated in a $230 million fraud scheme.
They have argued that he was intentionally refused medical help in prison, and prison officials have admitted partial blame for his death.
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