Video: Magnitsky Documentary Debuts for One-Year Anniversary
A documentary film on the murder of Sergei Magnitsky by corrupt officials within the Russian government is debuting on the 16th of November with special screenings across several European parliaments and the U.S. House of Representatives. See the press release after the jump.
This date will mark one year since his death – and as of yet no legal action has been undertaken by the prosecutors to put those responsible on trial. Instead, the implicated officers and officials have been given promotions, and, most recently, awards.
In other news, Bill Browder is having some success in convincing Western governments to repeal the visas of those involved in the matter.
Unprecedented Worldwide Political and Cultural Event to Protest the Impunity of Russian Officials Who Tortured and Murdered Anti-Corruption Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky
11 November 2010 – November 16th will mark the one-year anniversary of the murder in Russian police custody of Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year old Russian anti-corruption lawyer.
To commemorate this anniversary, the global premiere of “Justice for Sergei,” a unique documentary on Magnitsky’s life and tragic death, will take place at a number of parliaments around the world, including the European Parliament, United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, Canada and the United States.
In connection with this unprecedented film launch at parliaments around the world, leading statesmen, politicians, scholars, human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and businessmen will join together for the first time to protest the continuing impunity of Russian state officials who cruelly tortured and killed Magnitsky in custody.
Sergei Magnitsky, an outside lawyer for the Hermitage Fund, discovered that Russian police were involved in misappropriating his client’s investment companies and later embezzling $230 million of public funds through the largest tax refund fraud in Russian history. Magnitsky testified against the state officials involved, and in retaliation they arrested him, detained him for 12 months without trial and tortured him in an attempt to force him to retract his testimony. Despite the physical and psychological torture, Magnitsky refused to change his testimony. He died on 16 November 2009 at the age of 37, leaving a mother, wife and two children. The new documentary reveals previously unreleased details of this shocking human tragedy.
Commentators at each parliamentary screening will discuss the legislative initiatives underway in the US, Canada and European Union countries to deny visas and freeze the assets of the Russian officials involved in the corruption Magnitsky exposed and his subsequent torture and murder in custody.
This will be the first time a worldwide protest has been organized against the impunity of Russian state officials.
See documentary trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aj2NLFL-lESee legislation in the U.S. Congress, “The Justice for Sergei Magnitsky Act of 2010”:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.3881:
