Magnitsky's death was used to launch anti-Russian campaign

The Tverskoy Court of Moscow found late lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and businessman William Browder guilty of tax evasion amounting to over half a billion rubles. Earlier, the prosecutor asked for a nine-year sentence for Browder, while Magnitsky was exempt from the punishment due to his death.

On July 11^th, a verdict in the case of tax evasion was announced in the Tverskoy court of Moscow. Defendants in the case are British citizen William Browder, the head of Hermitage Capital and Sergei Magnitsky, an auditor of the same fund.

During the sentencing, judge Igor Alisov stated that Browder and Magnitsky were found guilty of tax evasion of over 522 million rubles. The court found that Magnitsky was acting in the interest of the head of the fund. 

"Magnitsky organized a large scale tax evasion scheme preliminary arranged by a group of individuals," the judge was quoted by ITAR-TASS.

Sergei Magnitsky died on November 16^th of 2009 in a prison intensive care unit. By that time, he had spent 11 months in custody. Seven days before the death he was charged.

According to investigations conducted later, Magnitsky was not provided with a timely and adequate treatment at the onset of an acute medical condition.

William Browder used the death of Sergei Magnitsky to unleash a campaign meant to result in sanctions against the Russian officials allegedly involved in the death of the auditor. According to the head of Hermitage Capital, Magnitsky died because he uncovered a financial fraud by enforcement and tax authorities.

While Magnitsky was in jail, his former boss did not show particular activity. Now William Browder keeps repeating that he will do everything possible to ensure that sanctions are imposed by the largest possible number of countries.

So far only the United States imposed sanctions in December of last year, when U.S. President Barack Obama approved the so-called "Magnitsky Act". Its open part, however, includes not 60 Russian officials named by Browder and lobbied by senators and congressmen, but three times fewer names. There is still a closed part of the document. 

The act has caused a significant cooling of the Russian-American relations that have already been strained. In fact, Washington imposed sanctions against the people without any legal proceedings. This measure is not limited in time and any citizen of Russia can be subject to it. Moscow compiled its own list of American officials who are denied entry to Russia.

William Browder, of course, was not present at the proceedings. Some time ago, he was afraid to travel outside the UK, fearing an arrest by Interpol request. The authorities of the United Kingdom refused to cooperate with Russia on this issue.

Magnitsky's relatives also refused to participate in the proceedings, finding them unlawful and unreasonable. In court, the interests of the defendants are presented by an appointed counsel.

Anton Kulikov

Pravda.Ru 

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