The Financial Times (22 April 2014) reports that Bill Browder and the Magnitsky Campaign are working with the Norwegian Human Rights Group ‘The Norwegian Helsinki Committee’, and intend to present evidence to senior Norwegian prosecutors and request a criminal investigation into Oleg Silchenko and two prison guards for allegedly mistreating the lawyer, the late Sergei Magnitsky.
Mr Magnitsky was Bill Browder's lawyer in Moscow and had uncovered a huge tax fraud perpetrated against Hermitage Capital and, seemingly, the Russian Government. He was killed in prison.
Mr Silchenko has repeatedly denied any involvement in these criminal allegations.
Norway is one of the few countries in the world whose legislation will allow a criminal investigation/prosecution into Human Rights abuses, even if committed outside Norway.
This begs the question of those of us in the UK, why on earth does the British government ignore the Magnitsky Campaign and ignore the fact that millions of pounds from that tax fraud have been laundered through this country (largely through the prime London property market)?
Instead, this country which apparently prides itself on its work on Human Rights abuses allows others to examine this appalling tragic death of a man who left behind a young family.
We should be ashamed.
