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Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP
Police officers stand near an empty defendant's cage in a courtroom in Moscow on March 11, 2013. The court postponed the trial of Sergei Magnitsky, a dead lawyer who accused law-enforcement authorities of massive corruption and whose case sparked a dispute between Washington and Moscow.
Mikhail Voskresensky / Reuters
Flowers lie near the grave of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in the Preobrazhensky cemetery in Moscow on March 11, 2013.
Journalists crowded into a packed Moscow courtroom on Monday to witness a legal first: the first prosecution of a dead person in Russian history. But the case was postponed as the absence of defendant Sergei Magnitsky — who died in 2009 — was compounded by the non-appearance of his legal team.
Magnitsky is charged with tax evasion and fraud — similar to accusations that he had leveled against police and tax officials — in a case that sparked a dispute between Washington and Moscow when Congress passed a law named after Magnitsky.
"The defense team ... believes that they have not yet fully acquainted themselves with the 60 volumes of case materials," Judge Igor Alisov said, looking down on the barred cage usually reserved for the accused and the empty seats where Magnitsky's lawyers should have sat. Alisov postponed the trial until March 22.
-- Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report
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What life in prison if convicted??? LOL
Obviously he got his defense lawyer from beyond the grave. You guys need to get one of our American nutjobs that "communicates" with the dead otherwise this trial would be completely useless and wasteful......since it wasn't in the first place...lol.
And I thought OUR court system waste tax dollars. This is an all new... WOW moment.
LOL and here i thought our court system was wacked...
Wow talk about violating his due process. He should appeal....
They postponed his trial until March 22nd. Are they big on resurrection over there? I'll put long odds on him showing up (really long). Of course they could always dig him up and stuff the corpse, or was he cremated?
Maybe that is one of those special cages and it has his ghost in it.
His trial was postponed until Good Friday......
Gloria Allred hasn't been in the news lately.........maybe she's available.
Can he be held in contempt for ignoring the Clerk calling "all rise"?
WTF?
Judge comes in bailiff says all rise!..............and nuthin
Sorry, my American brethren - but you are all wrong. There is no estate to go after, as Mr. Magnitsky was not wealthy by any stretch of imagination. The real goals for this shameful trial are:
That's all there is to it.
Oh, and the fact that Mr. Magnitsky died of torture in the custody of the Russian government held on fabricated charges is certainly not satisfying enough to the sadistic SOB Putin and his punks. Now, he is also trying to teach his populace a far-reaching "lesson", and show the rest of the World what a "Stern Great Leader" he is, otherwise known as a "ruthless psychopath" in the more enlightened circles. Man, even Stalin was not this devious.
Peace, ANV
In other words, this is a Russian-Style Public Hanging/Impaling/Burning on the Cross, whatever you want to call it, dressed up for 2013. It has nothing to do with justice, it all has to do with the Medieval mentality and the Medieval grasp of the World that the current Russian Government STILL cannot shake off! Starting with the Main Man himself - Putin!
To be fair, I think his (Putin's) days are really numbered. The rest of the Russian people are not all that Medieval (although many are). And, you know: I am one of them, Russian people (although a former one), but I am not from the "Medieval camp" (and none of my friends or my family are), and never was in it, ever. We are what is considered the "civilized Russians" - most of us are outside of Russia, like me, but there are many, many more that are still there.
But still, being "one of them Russians" is why we have the correct insight on what is really going on in Russia - and I am here to tell this to the rest of the World. Thank you for listening/reading, World!
Peace, ANV
If He does show up, I believe there's a good chance He'll beat the rap.
Well, there you go. America's legal system ISN'T the dumbest on the planet. It isn't worse than #2.
"When there's something strange in the neighborhood...WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS!!"
Russian "justice" - what a joke.
I think it's an oxymoron.
Yep. Thank goodness we live in the good ol' USA, where only the IRS can screw you after you're dead.
Hi denver bill! Yeah, the IRS has way too much power. Just no such thing as due process any more.
OMFG...just when you think you've seen and heard everything! Putin is a JOKE....and this only makes him look MORE like the evil clown he is!
I guess there may have been a 'wisp' of evidence in that Courtroom! hahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
All kidding aside, why would anyone invest in this corrupt, neo-Stalinist country?
Ginormous oil and gas reserves, perhaps?...
I Dunno.......... I just moved here and I got an offer on my house for 15% more than I paid a couple of months ago. At least in Krasnodar things are looking up.
Maybe Russia should next try Josef Stalin for mass murder...
They need to apply the Statute of Limitations and all go home.
"Statue of Livingtations" :)
I wonder how much they set bail at?
bail paid by the dead man's credit card?
Nothing to see in the cage folks, now move along...........
The concept of the "rule of law" is completely lost on the Russians.
It's lost in the U.S. as well, unless your rich and well connected.
And the arrogant fools in our country are pointing fingers at corruption in Russia? Hypocritical BS.
Yes bigboypanties, obama is a finger pointing douche!!
I'm wondering why he is dead? Did the police he accused, kill him? Is he being proscuted after death only because the people he accused want to send a message to others not to go against law enforcement? It all sounds fishy to me.
If this dead gentlemen is found guilty at the end of the trial I think these Russians would most likely dig the poor guy up and try to bring him back to life just so they could execute him!
Nothing seems to weird these days when it comes to Russia and how they go about doing things.
RIP Sergei Magnitsky, you've earned your eternal rest.
What a killer joke!
It's nice to know the Russian Courts have a sense of humor.
What? They're serious?!? :/ Sigh.......
How dare he pull a no show!
All those people showed up to see if the dead guy did also.
Russian lawyers need to catch up with their American counterparts. Here in the states an "ambulance chaser" would push for continuance demanding a full psychiatric evaluation. "But the defendent is dead." "So? It'll just take longer."
How do you try someone who is dead? Only in Russia.
If convicted, then what?
If not convicted, what's next then?
Do you have to be found guilty by 12 of your peers from the afterlife? If so, how will anyone living know the outcome of the vote. Should they dig him up and execute him? Will it hurt? So many questions!
Moscow must be going after his Estate - No other good Reason !
Judge to Attorney: "I see dead people".
Digging up the past - what a waste of time and money
We all needed a good laugh today and this was it. :)
The only sure things in life are Death and taxes - who knew you could still be prosecuted for the taxes after death????
yes it is funny but have you checked your american tax codes lately.
From an earlyer story. Russia's top court ruled shortly after Magnitsky's death that posthumous trials were allowed, with the intention of allowing relatives to clear their loved ones' names. Though neither Magnitsky's relatives nor Browder say they asked for charges to be refiled, prosecutors reopened his case just days after the ruling
I think it's pretty sad not so much about this idiotic trial but to see all of the Americans who write i their comments and have the worst grammar and spelling in the world!! Not that I'm perfect - far from it - but really, folks. Please realize that when you write on these blogs and forums, your ignorance and careless writings are there for all to see and to think of how stupid Americans must be.
and yet you have your own mistake...
physician heal thyself
That's just a typo.
The Defendent is dead. The Court should dismiss this case and move on to the next case.
NAh they wont. If there is money involved and if he has an estate. The no they will never let it go till they have it all.
Are they going to issue a warrant for Failure To Appear