Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky.

“No Place to Retreat to”

Vedomosti

The criminal case relating to the death of Hermitage Foundation lawyer Sergey Magnitskiy, who died in a prison hospital on 16 November 2009, is beginning to acquire specific outlines. The Investigations Committee has charged Dmitriy Kratov, deputy chief of the Butyrka holding center, with negligence and prison doctor Larisa Litvinova with causing death by negligence.

There were definitely more people who made decisions and issued orders, so the list of players in the case, which consists of two individuals, looks too much like “scapegoating.” Nevertheless yesterday’s [18 July] statement by the Investigations Committee should be regarded as a big step forward given all the strength of the resistance from the guardians of the honor of uniforms and judges’ robes, who persistently attempted to prove the legality of Magnitskiy’s imprisonment and incarceration. It is a big step forward, but only the first step. Investigators are promising to call to account “other officials irrespective of the posts that they have held previously and currently.” The progress of the trial will demonstrate how possible this is given the current system of relations between the branches of power.