File photo of a portrait of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky held by his mother, Nataliya Magnitskaya, in 2009 (© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Russia doesn't see a problem with putting a dead man on trial

2/20/2013

The trial of a Russian lawyer has been postponed for two weeks, but the defendant probably won't mind: He's been dead since 2009. Authorities in Moscow are determined to try Sergei Magnitsky on charges of tax evasion, even though he died of pancreatitis almost four years ago. There's almost as much controversy after his death as there was during his life. Magnitsky discovered and reported rampant corruption among Russian tax officials. He was promptly arrested, charged with helping a major corporation avoid paying its tax bills. He became ill in prison and died after being denied medical treatment. He's believed to be Russia's first dead defendant, but — knowing Russia — he probably won't be the last. [Source]

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