The judge who sanctioned the arrest of Vera Trifonova, a seriously ill businesswoman who died in pretrial detention, should be fired, said Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer and member of the Public Chamber.
Kucherena promised to demand the dismissal of Judge Olga Makarova during a meeting Wednesday with Makarova's superior, Vasily Voloshin, the top judge for the Moscow Regional Court, Interfax reported.
Voloshin has already ordered an investigation into Makarova's actions.
Trifonova, 53, was arrested in December on fraud charges and died Friday in Matrosskaya Tishina, the pretrial detention center where Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer for Hermitage Capital, died in November under similar circumstances.
The investigator who refused requests to release Trifonova from custody because of her poor health is being investigated on suspicion of negligence and, if charged, faces up to five years in prison. Two other investigators have been fired in connection with Trifonova's death.
The Investigative Committee said it would open an investigation into how officials treat complaints from detainees.
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.