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UPDATE: TAG Alliances Shows Support for Justice in Russia

Best-selling Author Bill Browder Presents Keynote Session on Building a Legacy for Sergei Magnitsky at TAG Alliances Virtual Conference

The inside story of exposing murder and corruption and the creation of a regime of sanctions in the face of fierce opposition.  

On May 13th, TAG Alliances began its TAG Virtual Spring 2021 International Conference with a Keynote Session from Bill Browder, author of the International Best Seller, Red Notice, and Jamison Firestone of Russian TAGLaw Member Firm FDS Law Ltd. The session titled, “Building a Legacy for Sergei Magnitsky - A Global Framework for Fighting Human Rights Abuses and Corruption” focused on the true story of Sergei Magnitsky and provided attendees with first-hand perspectives. 

Read the entire article.

Sergei Magnitsky Convicted Posthumously

Earlier this Spring, at the TAGLaw and TIAG International Conference in Boston, Jamison Firestone of FDS Law (Moscow, Russia) brought the attendees up to date on his tireless efforts to hold accountable the Russian officials complicit in the tax fraud that his former partner, Sergei Magnitsky sought to expose.  Mr. Magnitsky was imprisoned for these efforts and later died in prison, almost four years ago.

Earlier in July, in an action labeled "the height of absurdity" by Amnesty International's UK head of policy and governmental affairs and "shameful" by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, Mr. Magnitsky was posthumously convicted of tax evasion by a Russian court.  Shortly after the death of Mr. Magnitsky,  TAGLaw, with the unanimous support of its Advisory Board, sent a letter of protest to then president Medvedev.  TAG president Bob Sattin was later interviewed on Moscow radio about the letter of protest.

U.S. Senate Passes Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act

Sergei Magnitsky, a former TAGLaw member, was working for UK investment firm Hermitage Capital when, after alleging a £142m tax fraud by Russian officials, he was arrested and allegedly tortured. On 16 November 2009, one year after being detained, he died in police custody in Moscow. Below is an excerpt from a New York Times article on the passing of the "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act" by the United States Senate. 

The U.S. Senate recently repealed a trade sanction imposed 38 years ago to force the Soviet Union to allow Jews and other religious minorities to emigrate, replacing it with a modern-day punishment for human rights abuse that has enraged Russian officials. The old law, one of the last vestiges of the Cold War, was called the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, named after a U.S. senator and a representative. The new law, passed 92 to 4, grants Russia and Moldova permanent normal trade relations, but it is coupled with the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, which honors a dead Russian. The law blacklists Russians connected to the death of Magnitsky in police custody and to other gross human rights violations, prohibiting entrance to the United States and use of its banking system.

“Today, we close a chapter in U.S. history,” Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), one of the prime movers of the Magnitsky bill, said during the debate on Jackson-Vanik. “It served its purpose. Today, we open a new chapter in U.S. leadership for human rights.”

Read the entire article on the New York Times website.

U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Votes Unanimously in Favor of Magnitsky Bill

In a his­toric vote today, the U.S. House For­eign Affairs Com­mit­tee, chaired by Con­gress­woman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, unan­i­mously approved the "Sergei Mag­nit­sky Rule of Law Account­abil­ity Act" which will impose visa bans and asset freezes on the Russ­ian offi­cials involved in the tor­ture and mur­der of 37-year old, anti-corruption lawyer, Sergei Mag­nit­sky as well as on other gross human rights abuses in Russia.

The vote at the Com­mit­tee went for­ward unop­posed in spite of the vig­or­ous oppo­si­tion from the Russ­ian gov­ern­ment, the delay­ing tac­tics from the Obama admin­is­tra­tion and last-minute lob­by­ing from major US busi­nesses like Boe­ing, Cater­pil­lar, and PepsiCo.

The 'Mag­nit­sky Act' now moves to the floor of the House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives to be voted on at a later date.

Speak­ing about today's vote, William Brow­der, CEO of Her­mitage Cap­i­tal Man­age­ment and one of the advo­cates of the effec­tive­ness of the Mag­nit­sky sanc­tions, said:

"Today's vote in the U.S. will cre­ate a solid prece­dent that will be fol­lowed by Europe, Canada and other coun­tries con­cerned with the dete­ri­o­ra­tion of human rights in Rus­sia and where par­lia­men­tary ini­tia­tives are under way."

Cur­rently, there are 12 national par­lia­ments includ­ing the United King­dom, Swe­den, Italy, Canada and the Nether­lands, who are con­sid­er­ing Mag­nit­sky sanctions.

Mr Brow­der also said:

"The leg­is­la­tion will pro­tect the Russ­ian oppo­si­tion because mem­bers of the Russ­ian regime keep their money in the West. If they start open­ing fire on oppo­si­tion mem­bers, that money will be frozen".

"This is the first of many things to cre­ate the endur­ing legacy that the life and death of Sergei Mag­nit­sky deserves. In the end, when the regime changes in Rus­sia, they will erect mon­u­ments to Sergei for his brav­ery and sac­ri­fice for his country."

Fol­low­ing today's vote in the House For­eign Affairs Com­mit­tee, the next step in the leg­isla­tive process is for the Mag­nit­sky bill to be voted on by the mem­bers of the House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives, before being voted on by the Sen­ate and finally, to be signed into law by the U.S. President.

Link to the U.S. House For­eign Affairs Com­mit­tee hear­ing notice about the mark up of H.R. 4405:

"To impose sanc­tions on per­sons respon­si­ble for the deten­tion, abuse, or death of Sergei Mag­nit­sky, and for other gross vio­la­tions of human rights in Russ­ian Fed­er­a­tion, and for other pur­poses".

For more information on this story as it relates to TAGLaw, please read the collection of articles below.

TAGLaw will continue to monitor this situation, and bring you any new developments as they occur.

Source: Law and Order in Russia

Moscow Plans Posthumous Trial Against Former TAGLaw Member, Sergei Magnitsky
To further complicate an already troublesome situation in Russia, investigators announced last week that it will possibly posthumously prosecute former TAGLaw member, Sergei Magnitsky of Firestone Duncan (Russia). Mr. Magnitsky accused Russian officials of working together with organized criminals to steal $230 million in tax payments that a client had made to the Russian State.  Mr. Magnitsky was subsequently arrested on accusations of tax fraud by the officers he accused and he passed away two years ago while in custody of the Russian police.  However, the charges against Mr. Magnitsky were later found to be fabricated when they were investigated by a presidential human rights commission.  This would be the first posthumous prosecution in Russia's history.

Click here to read more about this story from the Financial Times.

Source: Financial Times

Russia Pressured on Sergei Magnitsky Death
British Prime minister David Cameron has thrown his weight behind a campaign to expose the truth behind the death of former TAGLaw attorney, Sergei Magnitsky who was investigating an alleged £142m fraud against a UK company in Russia.

Magnitsky was working for UK investment firm Hermitage Capital when, after alleging a £142m tax fraud by Russian officials, he was arrested and allegedly tortured. On 16 November 2009, one year after being detained, he died in police custody in Moscow.

An official investigation announced by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev later in November 2009 has yet to produce any findings.

Chancery Lane wrote to Medvedev again in December 2009 following Magnitsky’s death, expressing concern at bruises on the dead lawyer’s hands that were reportedly visible during the funeral, and at claims that he was ‘denied ­medical treatment… which eventually led to his death’.

In January this year, shadow justice minister Chris Bryant submitted a 1,000-page dossier to the home secretary detailing the alleged roles of 60 Russian officials in Magnitsky’s arrest and death. Some 22 UK members of parliament have signed an Early Day Motion calling on the government to impose visa and other sanctions on the Russian officials claimed to be involved in the case.

Earlier this month, Cameron wrote to Hermitage stating that he is ‘deeply concerned’ about the case and will be tracking its progress ahead of his planned visit to Russia later this year.

Source: Law Society Gazette

Members of European Parliament Vote Overwhelmingly in Favor of Sanctions in Magnitsky Case
On December 16, 2010, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for sanctions against the Russian officials responsible for the false arrest, torture and death of 37-year old Russian anti-corruption lawyer and former TAGLaw member Sergei Magnitsky. This is a crucial step in the fight to obtain justice for Mr. Magnitsky.

With an overwhelming majority of 318 in favour and 163 against (with 95 abstentions), the European Parliament called upon EU member states to consider imposing entry bans on the Russian officials who played a direct role in the Magnitsky case. The European Parliament also called on EU law enforcement agencies to cooperate in freezing bank accounts and other assets of these Russian officials in all EU Member States. Click here to read the entire article.

Sergei Magnitsky Announced as Posthumous Winner of the Transparency International Integrity Award 2009-2010

Today, Transparency International, a leading civil society organisation fighting corruption, announced that its 2009-2010 Integrity Award has been posthumously given to Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year old Russian lawyer and former TAGLaw member who was died while in police custody. The award was received by Sergei Magnitsky’ mother, Natalia Magnitskaya, at a special award ceremony of the International Anti-Corruption conference in Bangkok.

Sion Assidon, Chair of the Integrity Awards Committee said: "Sergei did what to most people seems impossible: he battled as a lone individual against the power of an entire state. He believed in the rule of law and integrity, and died for his belief. Sergei, his heroic fight, and the ideals he stood for must never be forgotten".

"Mr Magnitsky’s commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and good governance that Transparency International stands for, have been championed through relentless determination in fighting the abuse of power for private gain."

By posthumously awarding the Integrity Award to Mr Magnitsky, Transparency International hopes that his integrity and work will embolden others to continue their pursuit of justice.

Sion Assidon also noted that: "His extraordinary bravery and unfaltering courage in the face of dire circumstances serves as an inspiration to all of us." Click here to read more about the award.

Letter from US Senator Benjamin Cardin (Maryland)

In a letter addressed to Robert Sattin, President of TAGLaw, US Senator Benjamin Cardin expressed his commitment to "this serious matter," referring to the investigation into the arrest and death of former TAGLaw member Sergei Magnitzky while in a Russian prison. Senator Cardin recently co-sponsored a bill to restrict travel and freeze assets of those implicated in the arrest and death of Magnitsky. He also thanked TAGLaw for "all the good work TAGLaw does to promote the rule of law and good governance."

Click here to download the letter.

Latest Letter from the Russian Government

Click here to download the latest letter from the Russian government regarding the death of former TAGLaw member Sergei Magnitsky.

Law Introduced in US Congress to Freeze Assets and Ban Visas for Russian Officials Implicated in Death of Sergei Magnitsky

29 September 2010 – Today, a law has been introduced in the US Congress which will enact economic sanctions and visa bans on Russian officials and other individuals involved in the torture and murder in custody of 37-year old lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The new law, entitled “Justice for Sergei Magnitsky Act of 2010”, will make those implicated in the repressive arrest and death of Magnitsky ineligible for admission to the United States and will revoke any existing US visas. The law will also freeze and prohibit all financial transactions of those individuals within the United States.

The co-sponsors of the “Justice for Sergei Magnitsky Act of 2010” law are some of the most prominent US political figures and leaders in the fields of human rights and justice, including Senator Benjamin Cardin and Congressman James McGovern.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to watch Sky New's coverage of the investigation of the death of Sergei Magnitskey.

TAGLaw recently received a letter from the Russian government, regarding the death of former TAGLaw member, Sergei Magnitskey (full story).

25.08/2010 No 201/366795-10

I hereby inform you that your appeal dated 16.07.2010 has been considered and added to the materials of criminal case No 201/366795-10 initiated under art. 124 p. 2 and art. 293 p. 2 of the Criminal Code of Russia upon the fact of death of detainee Magnitskey S.L. on 16.11.2009 at the intensive care of surgery of special hospital FBU IZ-77/1 UFSIN of Russia for the city of Moscow.

Arguments contained in the appeal will be examined within the process of investigation.

Senior investigator of cases of special importance of Head investigative office,

Golkin S.V.

TAGLaw recently received a letter from the Russian government, regarding the death of former TAGLaw member, Sergei Magnitskey (full story).

20.08/2010 No 34/2-196-2010

I hereby inform you that your appeal on the investigation of circumstances of death of Magnitskey S.L. submitted to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation from the Ministry for economic development of Russia has been transferred for consideration within the established powers to the Head investigative office of the Investigative committee of the prosecutor’s office of the Russian Federation in accordance with the procedure provided for by the law.

Deputy Chief of the administration for supervision over investigation of cases of special importance,

Kutaliya D.V

CNN's Coverage of Sergei Magnitsky's Death
CNN's Fareed Zakaria interviews Hermitage Capital founder William Browder regarding the death of Firestone Duncan attorney Sergei Magnitsky (full story).

Source: CNN

TAGLaw Letter Gains Attention of the Kremlin and the International Media
August 28, 2010

According to stories in the August 27, 2010 editions of The Moscow Times and the Telegraph (a top UK newspaper) TAGLaw's July letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has had some impact. The size and global reach of the network has added weight to our words and hopefully we have aided Jamison Firestone's efforts on behalf of his late partner, Sergei Magnitsky (full story). Jamison noted that in addition to The Moscow Times (Russia's main English language newspaper), the story was picked up in over 10 Russian language publications. Click here to read the articles: The Moscow Times; Telegraph.

Russian Government Opens Investigation into Magnitsky's Death
August 17, 2010

TAGLaw has received a letter from the Russian Federation General Prosecutor’s Office. The letter is in response to TAGLaw's correspondence to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev regarding the death of TAGLaw member Segei Magnitsky (full story below).

A translation of the letter into English is below. Click here to download the original letter in Russian.

"Herewith I inform you that your application about the investigation of the circumstances of death of Mr. Magnitskey S., which was forwarded to the Russian Federation General Prosecutor’s Office from the President’s Administration of the Russian Federation, was further forwarded as per the order stipulated by law for consideration by the Chief Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee under the Russian Federation Prosecutor’s Office.

Acting in position of the chief of the department for supervision over the investigation of the primarily important cases

S.I. Kolchanov"

TAGLaw Shows Support for Justice in Russia

Following the tragic death of TAGLaw member Sergei Magnitsky, a moving presentation during a recent TAGLaw conference by his partner, Jamison Firestone, and a passionate request by TAGLaw member Ilmar-Erik Aavakivi from Estonia, the TAGLaw Advisory Board unanimously agreed to take action. Last week, TAGLaw sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the United Nations, the International Bar Association, U.S. President Obama, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton, and the U.S. Senators from Florida and the U.S. Congressman from the district covering the TAGLaw home office, expressing the network's outrage and calling for an investigation into Mr. Magnitsky's tragic death. Click here to read the communication.

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