Trial for dead anti-corruption lawyer restarts in Russia
- 11 years ago
An empty defendant's cage at a Moscow court for what is the first known case of a trial against a dead person in Russia.
The man on trial is the late Sergei Magnitsky, the anti-corruption lawyer who died in prison in 2009.
He was arrested for tax evasion and fraud - similar crimes to those he accused Russian authorities of committing.
Prosecutors, Russian tax authorities and observers were present at the courtroom on Wednesday as the trial resumed.
But Magnitsky's family and his co-defendant have refused to cooperate in the case or attend hearings, calling the case absurd and a miscarriage of justice.
Magnitsky - who was allegedly mistreated in prison - died nearly a year after his arrest, prompting calls in the West for sanctions against Russians connected to his death.
The man on trial is the late Sergei Magnitsky, the anti-corruption lawyer who died in prison in 2009.
He was arrested for tax evasion and fraud - similar crimes to those he accused Russian authorities of committing.
Prosecutors, Russian tax authorities and observers were present at the courtroom on Wednesday as the trial resumed.
But Magnitsky's family and his co-defendant have refused to cooperate in the case or attend hearings, calling the case absurd and a miscarriage of justice.
Magnitsky - who was allegedly mistreated in prison - died nearly a year after his arrest, prompting calls in the West for sanctions against Russians connected to his death.