Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky.

Interview: Magnitsky’s Mother: ‘The List Is About People Who Must Answer For Their Actions’

Radio Free Europe

The mother and widow of whistle-blowing Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky were in Washington on April 17, just days after the White House issued a blacklist of more than a dozen Russian officials implicated in Magnitsky’s prosecution and death in jail in 2009.

RFE/RL’s Richard Solash spoke to Magnitsky’s mother, Natalia, at a reception held in the family’s honor, and started by asking her how she felt now that the “Magnitsky list” had become a reality.

Natalia Magnitskaya: You know, this list is kind of a monument to Sergei. Although such a monument should probably be in our own country. Unfortunately, we can’t have it in our country yet, and I am, of course, very grateful to all those who have been involved in this, who have taken an interest in Sergei. The fact that the whole world, perhaps unexpectedly, has become concerned about it and that there exists such a list now is, as I said, a memorial to Sergei.

RFE/RL: Were you hoping that the list would target more officials or higher-ranking officials?

Magnitskaya: To be honest, I wasn’t following very much who would be included on the list. I didn’t think much about it. I think the authors of this list have expressed their opinion and I understand that it doesn’t include any high-ranking officials because that would have caused tension between our countries. In fact, I wouldn’t want our countries, or any countries, to have any tension in their relations.

RFE/RL: Do you think that the list can be effective in stimulating reform in Russia?

Magnitskaya: Well, one can only hope. I don’t know if it can stimulate reform, but many people are afraid to get on this list, so maybe something will change in their mind and they will stop doing horrible things and breaking the law, in fear of getting on this list, so I hope that there will be something positive about it.

I also want to say that I don’t think that this list is aimed at Russia. It is aimed at concrete individuals. It doesn’t say that Russia is bad. I am not saying that Russia is bad either. The list is about people who must answer for their actions.

RFE/RL: How would you characterize Russia’s response — its ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children and its blacklist of U.S. officials?

Magnitskaya: It pains me to know that these measures are linked to Sergei’s name. It’s not clear why they had to do it now. I could understand Russia making a list in response to a U.S. list. Any government, in my opinion, has the right not to allow people whom it doesn’t like to enter its country. As individuals we can also be friendly with some people but not friendly with others and we don’t want to let them in our house. It is our right. Am I right?