Press Release

6 June 2012–Physicians for Human Rights, an independent US organisation supporting victims of torture and abuse using scientific and medical analysis, released a statement revealing that Russian authorities have destroyed evidence in the Magnitsky case files which could be used to determine the true cause of his death. In particular, they pointed out that certain of Magnitsky’s tissues samples which had been taken at the time of his death and stored have now been destroyed by Russian authorities. These are the same tissues samples which Magnitsky’s family has repeatedly requested to be given access to and whose requests were repeatedly denied by the Russian State Investigative Committee.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) pointed out that the Russian government also refused Magnitsky family’s request seeking PHR’s independent investigation into Magnitsky’s death. PHR said in their statement that the destruction of samples in the Magnitsky case appears to be “a deliberate and calculated attempt to prevent justice” on the part of the Russian government.