Russia to put dead whistle-blower on trial

A whistleblowing Russian lawyer whose death in custody became a symbol of rights abuses and strained relations with the United States will go on posthumous trial in what relatives say is revenge by the Kremlin. Sergei Magnitsky, who died while in pre-trial custody in 2009, is being prosecuted for defrauding the state in what will be the first time Russia has ever tried a dead person, a development Amnesty International says sets a “dangerous precedent”. Magnitsky had been jailed after accusing police and tax officials of multimillion dollar tax fraud. His employer says the charges against h…

Read more