Magnitsky died in custody two years ago after testifying against a group of corrupt interior ministry officers
LONDON (TrustLaw) - A play about the final moments of an anti-corruption lawyer who challenged Moscow in the biggest tax fraud in Russian history will be performed for the first time outside the country, marking the second anniversary of his death, the Moscow Times reported.
Sold out and playing for just one night at Amnesty International's London headquarters on Wednesday, One Hour Eighteen exposes the killing of Sergie Magnitsky, after he testified against a group of corrupt Russian Ministry of Interior officers who he had investigated over the theft of millions of dollars.
The father of two, who worked for investment fund Hermitage Capital, was accused of fraud and imprisoned without trial in a detention centre, where he was tortured and beaten to death in his cell in 2009.
Magnitsky’s death was at the hands of prison officials, who allegedly instructed doctors not to treat him, according to a report submitted in July 2011 by a Russian human rights council.
Supporters of Magnitsky around the world are marking two years since his death, with the U.S. Helsinki Commission in Washington also hosting a performance of the play, written by Elena Gremina, and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin opening an exhibition in his honour this week.
Russia, meanwhile, has chosen to ignore the anniversary of his death. Only two prison medics have been charged with his murder, the Moscow Times reported.
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