Sergei Magnitsky

Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian lawyer who, in 2008, uncovered a large government corruption scheme involving officials stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead of being protected, he was wrongfully imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately died in jail in 2009. His death highlighted issues of corruption and human rights abuses in Russia. In response, countries passed laws, known as Magnitsky Acts, to targetedly sanction individuals involved in serious human rights violations and corruption, aiming to promote accountability and deter such misconduct globally.