Ex-Russian Magnitsky Case Investigator Confirms Arrest in Absentia by UK Court

Former Russian Interior Ministry investigator Pavel Karpov, who was involved in the so-called Magnitsky case, confirmed to Sputnik on Friday that a court in the United Kingdom has ruled on his arrest in the case filed against him by Hermitage Capital Management head William Browder.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The former investigator added that the court ruled that Karpov should pay Browder 75 percent of his legal costs amounting to 650,000 UK pounds ($836,000)

"The decision was not a surprise for me. The arrest is in force only in the United Kingdom and I have no plans to visit this country," Karpov said.

According to Karpov, Browder had nevertheless not provided the court with evidence of the former official's involvement in the alleged torture of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and Browder's former employee, who alleged official corruption at the highest levels of government, or in his death in 2010.

In 2013, Russia sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison for tax evasion and for falsely claiming tax breaks for hiring disabled persons. The court also ruled that Magnitsky developed and implemented a tax evasion scheme while working for the millionaire.

In 2016, Karpov sent a request addressed to the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin to initiate proceedings against Browder over his alleged links to the death of Magnitsky.