Support The Moscow Times!

U.S. Slams Posthumous Magnitsky Conviction

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has condemned Russia's conviction of deceased whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on tax evasion charges, calling the case a "discredit" to efforts to bring the officials he accused of a $230 million tax fraud to justice.

"We are disappointed by the unprecedented posthumous criminal conviction against Sergei Magnitsky," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington on Thursday. "The trial was a discredit to the effort of those who continue to seek justice in his case."

A Moscow court on Thursday found Magnitsky guilty of tax evasion, a conviction that came more than three years after he died in disputed circumstances while in pretrial custody. His former boss, Hermitage Capital CEO William Browder, was convicted in absentia of tax evasion and handed a nine-year sentence Thursday.

Prior to his detention and subsequent death in a Moscow jail in November 2009, Magnitsky claimed that a group of law enforcement and tax officials had swindled the federal budget out of $230 million in a phony tax scheme. His supporters claim he was jailed and tortured to death in retribution, allegations that the authorities deny.

"Despite widely publicized credible evidence of criminal conduct resulting in Magnitsky's death, the authorities have failed to prosecute those responsible," Psaki said.

Browder, a U.S.-born British citizen, has lobbied Western governments to pressure the Kremlin over the case, resulting in the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law enacted in December that bans Russians purportedly tied to the lawyer's death and other alleged rights abuses from entering the United States, and which freezes their U.S. assets.

"We continue to call for full accountability for all those responsible for Magnitsky's wrongful death and will continue to support the efforts of those in Russia who seek to hold those individuals accountable," Psaki told reporters.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more