MOSCOW — A prison doctor charged with negligence in the death of a lawyer who reported a multi-million tax fraud by Russian officials has pleaded not guilty.
Dmitry Kratov, formerly a doctor in Moscow’s Butyrka prison, is the first official charged in the death of Sergey Magnitsky. The trial started at Moscow’s Tverskoy court Thursday.
Kratov’s attorney Roman Kuchin said that his client denied the charges against him because he could not ensure medical care for Magnitsky due to a shortage of staff.
Magnitsky, who had accused Interior Ministry officials of using false tax documents to steal $230 million from the state, died in custody from untreated pancreatitis. A private investigation concluded Magnitsky was severely beaten and denied medical treatment, and it accused the government of failing to prosecute those responsible.
