Officials at the Russian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. In discussing accusations that Mr. Magnitsky was beaten in prison, the letter suggested that deaths in Canadian prisons could be used as a basis for sanctions against Canadian officials by other governments. Adam Austen, the press secretary for the foreign affairs minister, said the new Canadian law would enable Canada to hold foreigners accountable for human rights violations and corruption. The Magnitsky law and efforts to expand it globally have enraged the Russian president. But to critics of Mr. Putin, Mr. Magnitsky, in death, has become a symbol of corruption and brutality in the Russian state.

Source: New York Times October 05, 2017 01:09 UTC