Magnitsky: Russia To Quiz UK On Prison Death List

Sky News

Britain reportedly bans 60 Russians linked to the prison death of an anti-corruption lawyer – and Moscow demands an explanation.

Russia’s ambassador to Britain is expected to demand an explanation from the Foreign Office about reports that the UK has blacklisted Russian officials for their alleged role in the death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

Home Secretary Theresa May has sent a list of 60 Russians, including judges and intelligence officers, to the British embassy in Moscow banning them from entering the UK, according to The Sunday Times.

The Foreign Office has issued a statement saying it does not allow individuals into the UK where there is evidence of human rights abuses.

Alexander Yakovenko, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, said on Sunday he would demand an explanation on the matter from the Foreign Office, the Russian Information Agency (RIA) said.

Britain and other nations have condemned Russia for Mr Magnitsky’s agonising death in a Moscow jail in 2009.

The 37-year-old died after uncovering alleged corruption between Russian tax officials and police. He was probably beaten to death in a prison cell, according to the Kremlin’s own human rights council.

No-one has been tried or jailed for involvement in his death. His arrest and killing have been widely seen as symbolising the absence of law inside Russia.

In June, a US Senate panel approved a bill that would require the US to deny visas and freeze the assets of Russians linked to his death.

Tory MP Dominic Raab, who has campaigned for London to blacklist the same 60 Russian officials, said on Sunday he had not received confirmation that this had definitively happened.

President Vladimir Putin has warned Washington it would retaliate should US Congress pass the bill.

Mr Magnitsky was killed after uncovering a scheme where tax and police officials allegedly worked together to defraud the state of around £150m in taxes.

He had been hired by the investment house Hermitage Capital, run by London-based William Browder.

Relations between Moscow and the UK have been strained since the murder of Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. payday loan микрозаймы онлайн https://zp-pdl.com/emergency-payday-loans.php https://zp-pdl.com займ онлайн на карту без отказа