The same police officer whose investigation led to the death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in November is seeking the arrest of a Hermitage partner in the case, the London-based investment fund said Monday.
The fund's lawyers have received a copy of a request by Interior Ministry Major Oleg Silchenko for a Moscow court to arrest Ivan Cherkesov, a 42-year-old Russian national based in London, in absentia, Hermitage said in a statement.
Cherkesov is wanted on suspicion of underpaying dividend-withholding taxes by a Hermitage-related firm that he used to run, an accusation that Hermitage denied.
Magnitsky, 37, died in a detention center after officials denied him medical treatment for illnesses that he developed while waiting 12 months for his trial to start, prompting President Dmitry Medvedev to order amendments intended to sharply reduce the percentage of people kept in pretrial detention. ?
Police began investigating Magnitsky after he accused Interior Ministry officers of embezzling government funds worth $230 million.
"The officers responsible for Magnitsky's death are now trying to find another hostage," Hermitage said in the statement.
The Interior Ministry had no immediate comment on the case.
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.