Support The Moscow Times!

Former Butyrka Doctor Acquitted of Negligence Charges in Magnitsky Case

A senior prison doctor who was the only remaining defendant in the death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was fully acquitted by a jury on Friday.

Dmitry Kratov, former deputy head of Butyrka prison in charge of medical affairs, was found not guilty of negligence by Moscow's Tverskoi District Court, Rapsi reported Friday.

The court sided with the prosecutor, Dmitry Bokov, who said there was no link between Kratov's actions and Magnitsky's death.

While Bokov said during the hearings that Kratov "failed to organize the necessary diagnostic and treatment measures, which resulted in Magnitsky's death," he said that the prison official hadn't received any complaints from Magnitsky about his health, nor had he been informed by other staff members.

Magnitsky was held in Butyrka before being transferred to Matrosskaya Tishina prison, where he died in November 2009. He was incarcerated on tax evasion charges shortly after accusing tax and police officials of embezzling $230 million.
In an e-mail in June, Hermitage Capital called the investigation a "farce" because Kratov was "not even present at Matrosskaya Tishina."

Hermitage Capital founder Bill Browder has called Kratov a "scapegoat" and accused President Vladimir Putin of influencing the prosecution. 

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more