Sergei Magnitsky’s mother demands Russian murder investigation

Daily Telegraph

Russia has come under fresh pressure to investigate the high-profile prison death of Sergei Magnitsky, the lawyer who uncovered the biggest tax fraud in Russian history.

In a complaint lodged with prosecutors, the late man’s mother has alleged he was illegally arrested, tortured and murdered in a Moscow prison in November 2009.

Demanding that a fully fledged murder investigation be opened into a case that continues to damage Russia’s relations with the West, Natalia Magnitskaya said: “During the more than one and a half years that have passed since my son’s death I have learnt and reviewed information proving that a crime was committed against my son, and that his death came about as a result of premeditated violent actions.”

Mr Magnitsky was working for UK-based investment fund Hermitage at the time of his death and had uncovered a £142m tax fraud – the biggest in Russian history. He had pointed the finger at what he said was a corrupt group of policemen, investigators and tax officials but was arrested and locked up for almost a year without trial.

Despite encouraging words, the Kremlin has failed to go after the people accused of complicity in his death, resulting in the US imposing visa and financial sanctions on up to 60 Russian officials.

Mrs Magnitskaya backed her request with a damning dossier of evidence, adding that she wanted top officials including Russia’s prosecutor general, deputy interior minister and almost a dozen judges to be prosecuted for involvement in her son’s death.

She added that her lawyers had discovered that prosecutors were themselves considering opening a murder probe into her son’s death three days after he died but were prevented from doing so as part of a whitewash.

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