'Vladimir Putin has ruined the future of Russia', says Head of Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign

Bill Browder is an American-British investor, author, and head of the global Magnitsky Justice Campaign -- a human rights movement in honour of his friend, and former lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in 2009 while in pre-trial detention in Russia after alleged mistreatment.

Magnitsky had been working to expose corruption and misconduct among Russian officials for London-based investment fund Hermitage Capital, of which Browder is the CEO and co-founder.

A fierce Kremlin critic, Bill Browder has been described as Vladimir Putin’s arch-enemy. The passing of the Magnitsky Act prompted the Russian leader to issue a series of warrants for his arrest and requests for his extradition.

Euronews spoke to Browder in Brussels during the 'Make Russia Pay' event which addressed how to use frozen Russian assets to reconstruct Ukraine. We asked him how the Magnitsky Act came about, and how it is being used in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I've been on a mission since [Sergei Magnitsky] was murdered 13 years ago to get justice for him", Browder said. "And that's led to travelling all over the world, meeting with lawmakers, specifically, to get a law passed called the Magnitsky Act, which freezes the assets and bans the visas of the people who killed him and do similar types of things." 

"The Magnitsky Act now has been passed in 35 countries around the world, including 27 countries of the European Union. And the Magnitsky Act is the template which is now being used to sanction oligarchs and other Putin regime officials around the world. I would have never imagined both the effect of the Magnitsky Act and, sadly, the need for the Magnitsky Act with what Putin has done", he added.

The European Union approved the Magnitsky Act in 2020.