Days after Russian authorities decided to try lawyer Sergei Magnitsky posthumously, the U.S. Department of State reiterated its calls to bring those guilty for his death in detention to justice.
Investigators of the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday they were ready to submit the case of the late Sergei Magnitsky, a Hermitage Capital auditor, and Hermitage Capital CEO William Browder to court.
“Pursuing criminal charges against Sergei Magnitsky serves no purpose other than to deflect attention away from the circumstances surrounding this tragic case,” office of the spokesperson said in a statement.
“We’ve seen the press reports about the reopening of the Magnitskiy case,” Department of State Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a press briefing earlier in the day. “We continue to call for Russian authorities to bring those responsible for Sergei Magnitskiy’s death to justice.”
Arrested in November 2008 on tax evasion charges, Magnitsky died in custody a year later after being denied medical care. The 37-year-old auditor had accused tax and police officials of carrying out a hefty $230-million tax scam.
