U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday demanded that "justice be delivered" in the death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow pretrial detention center last November.
"Among others, we remember the murdered American journalist Paul Klebnikov; the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in pretrial detention last year," Clinton told a U.S.–Russia civil society summit in Washington. "We continue to urge that justice be delivered in these cases."
The death of Magnitsky, who colleagues say was targeted by Interior Ministry officers he accused of stealing $230 million, is testing President Dmitry Medvedev's commitment to curb corruption.
The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, said it was investigating reports of extravagant spending by an officer, Artyom Kuznetsov, at the center of Magnitsky's death. A ministry spokesman said the accusations contained in documents published by Magnitsky's former colleagues on the Internet last week were being taken "quite seriously."
(MT, Reuters)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.