Washington, DC - Six years ago, on November 16, 2009, Russian lawyer Sergey Magnitskiy died in a Moscow prison. An investigation by Russia's Presidential Human Rights Council found that Magnitskiy had been severely beaten in prison and members of the Council said his death resulted from the beatings and “torture” by police officials.
Sergey Magnitskiy was arrested after uncovering corruption by Russian officials, spent a year in pre-trial detention before his death, and was posthumously convicted for the crimes he himself uncovered.
The anniversary of Sergey Magnitskiy’s death is a reminder of the human cost of injustice. Those responsible for his unjust imprisonment and wrongful death remain free, despite widely-publicized and credible evidence of their guilt. We salute Sergey Magnitskiy’s memory and those who work to uncover corruption and promote human rights in Russia despite official intimidation and harassment.
In honor of Sergey Magnitskiy, we will continue to fully support the efforts of those who seek to bring these individuals to justice, including through implementation of the Sergei Magnitskiy Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.