Press Release

For Immediate Distribution

 

Interpol Definitively Rejects Russia’s Request to Issue an International Arrest Warrant for Bill Browder

 

26 January 2014 – Interpol, the international police organization, has definitively rejected Russia’s attempt to add Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, to its Red Notice international arrest warrant system. This is Russia’s third unsuccessful attempt to issue an Interpol Red Notice for Browder. A Red Notice would have meant that Browder would be arrested at any international border and potentially extradited back to Russia. Over the last eight weeks, Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files has reviewed Russia’s application and concluded that the Russian warrant was illegitimate because it was “predominantly political.”

 

This attempt by the Russian government follows a long series of acts of retaliation against Browder for his role in the successful passage of the US Magnitsky Act, which imposes visa sanctions and asset freezes on Russian officials who killed Sergei Magnitsky, were involved in the $230 million theft he had uncovered, or perpetrated other human rights abuses.
Previously, Interpol refused two similar requests from Russia for Browder. In the summer of 2014, Interpol said Russia’s requests to arrest Browder were invalid because they violated Interpol’s Constitution which prohibits the organization to be used for political persecution.

 

Instead of complying with the previous two Interpol’s rulings, the Russian authorities began an intensive high-level lobbying campaign to influence Interpol to reverse their decision. In January 2014, the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office dispatched officials to Lyon, France, where Interpol is headquartered, who persuaded Interpol to re-open the Browder case. To help convince Interpol, Russian President Putin invited General Secretary of Interpol Ron Noble to his private residence near Moscow at the end of October 2014. Russian authorities also lobbied Interpol member states to elect their representative to Interpol’s governing body, the Executive Committee.

 

To make their latest application to Interpol for Browder, the Russian authorities used the posthumous trial against Browder’s murdered Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. This trial was condemned around the world as a gross abuse of justice.

 

“This latest episode with Interpol is an important example of how Putin applies Russia’s sovereign power to abuse its membership in international organizations. While the Interpol decision was the correct and right one, there are many other victims of the Russian regime in less high-profile cases who are being unjustly arrested in foreign countries as they flee political persecution in Russia. It’s time that Russia’s failing judicial system is taken into account by international organizations for their constant abuse for political or corrupt motives,” said Bill Browder.

 

Next week, on February 3rd 2015, Bill Browder will be responding with his own “Red Notice” on Putin’s Russia.

 

Browder’s book entitled, “Red Notice: A true story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice” (UK edition: “Red Notice, How I Became Putin’s Number One Enemy”) will be launched in the US and in the UK. Browder’s “Red Notice” will show that Putin is more akin to a crime boss than a legitimate world leader.

16 January 2015 – The Russian Investigative Committee has refused the application from Sergei Magnitsky’s mother to bring to account those responsible for the use of rubber batons on her son before his death in detention.

Mr Veseliev, Deputy head of section of the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee, stated in refusing the application that the decision to terminate the investigation was based on “the collection of gathered evidence” and “was checked by the head of the investigative body and prosecutor, no grounds to change the decision were found.” The decree does not provide any concrete ground in relation to the decision not to investigate the use of rubber batons.

The application from Magnitsky’s mother stated that the use of rubber batons was confirmed by the post-mortem medical examination, yet the investigation closed the criminal case into Magnitsky’s death without bringing to account those responsible. Her application said:

“I request to conduct a full probe by investigative means into the use of special means – metallic handcuffs and rubber batons – on 16 November 2009 at the time when he [Magnitsky] was delivered in grave condition to Matrosskaya Tishina detention center for the purpose of providing him with emergency medical care.”

Sergei Magnitsky died on 16 November 2009. Despite the conclusions from four independent expert examinations that he was tortured in detention, the Russian Investigative Committee has refused to investigate.

Russian Investigator of the Investigative Committee Andrei Strizhov, who closed the Magnitsky death case investigation, and Deputy General Prosecutor of Russia Victor Grin, the overseeing prosecutor, were both sanctioned by the US Government at the end of December 2014 for their role in concealing the legal liability of persons responsible for Magnitsky’s ill-treatment and death, in accordance with the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

For more information, please contact:

Magnitsky Justice Campaign

Website: http://lawandorderinrussia.org