Russian Interior Ministry Produces False Information to Assist one Officer in Attempt to Get Off of NewU.S. Magnitsky List

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Russian Interior Ministry Produces False Information to Assist one Officer in Attempt to Get Off of NewU.S. Magnitsky List

23 May 2014 – Yesterday, the Moscow branch of the Russian Interior Ministry responded to the inclusion of its official Andrei Krechetov in the U.S. Magnitsky List with a statement claiming that he did not have direct role in the Magnitsky’s case.

On 20 May 2014, the U.S. Treasury published an addition to the Magnitsky List, which included 10 Russians with personal involvement in the Magnitsky case, including the Interior Ministry official Andrei Krechetov.

On 22 May 2014, the Russian Interior Ministry’s branch in Moscow responded by making a statement to Russian news agency Interfax that officer Krechetov “did not have a direct relationship” towards investigating the Magnitsky case, and “only performed separate orders”.

In fact, officer Krechetov was a member of the investigative team on the case against Sergei Magnitsky, he personally performedthe search of Magnitsky’s home and detained him, and signed false reports used to justify Magnitsky’s arrest and continued detention.

The evidence of his involvement in the Magnitsky case include a 14 November 2008 report signed by officer Krechetov claimingthat he delivered a summons to Magnitsky, when such summons was never issued or delivered. (http://followmydata.net/SMRULE/D1251.pdf). Officer Krechetov signed a similar report on 17 November 2008.

A 24 November 2008 search on Magnitsky’s home where officer Krechetov took part in the search and where Magnitsky was detained is another record of his direct involvement in Magnitsky’s case (see Krechetov’s name in the copy of the search protocol).

In the summer of 2009, following the discovery of false reports signed by officer Krechetov, Magnitsky’s lawyers demanded that officer Krechetov be removed from the case, but their request was denied by senior officials of the Russian Interior Ministry.

In Sergei Magnitsky’s testimony given one month before his murder in Matrosskaya Tishina detention center, he highlighted the role of Interior Ministry officers, including officer Krechetov, in fabricating reports against him as part of his persecution. Magnitsky stated that his persecution was organised in revenge for his role in exposing the criminal group (which involved officer Krechetov), that stole Hermitage Fund’s Russian companies and $230 million.

Mr Krechetov’s colleagues in the Interior Ministry who took part with him in the persecution of Magnitsky – Artem Kuznetsov, Dmitry Tolchinksy and Aleksei Droganov – were sanctioned by the US government last year under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act.

“The continued cover up in Russia necessitates that all countries who respect human rights adopt targeted sanctions on Russian officials involved in Magnitsky case, similar to the ones implemented by the US government, with no delay,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.

 

For more information, please contact:

Hermitage Capital
Justice for Sergei Magnitsky program

+44 207 440 1777
info@lawandorderinrussia.org
http://lawandorderinrussia.org

Magnitsky List published by the U.S. Treasury on 20 May 2014:
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20140520.aspx

Author: Impunity Watch Archive