Kremlin critic says ‘struggle just beginning’ as he is knighted

A staunch Kremlin professional described arsenic “Putin’s fig 1 enemy” said the “struggle is conscionable beginning” arsenic helium was knighted astatine Buckingham Palace.

Sir William “Bill” Browder was knighted successful the King’s Birthday Honours aft years of lobbying governments to present sanctions against quality rights violators and kleptocrats.

His institution Hermitage Capital Management was erstwhile the largest overseas capitalist successful Russia.

Sir Bill began his run enactment successful 2009 pursuing the decease of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died successful a Moscow jailhouse aft exposing a taxation fraud involving Russian officials.

I dedicate this honour to each the different brave absorption activists who person stood up to oppression and mislaid their lives

Sir Bill Browder

Since then, Sir Bill has led the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign which lobbies governments to enforce visa bans and plus freezes connected quality rights abusers and corrupt officials.

The British-American financier and activistic was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by the Princess Royal during an investiture ceremonial astatine Buckingham Palace connected Thursday for “services to quality rights, anti-corruption, and planetary affairs”.

Speaking aft the ceremony, helium said: “This is an grant to recognise the combat that I’ve waged for 15 years for quality rights and for justness aft the execution of my lawyer Sergei Magnistky successful Russian custody.

“I dedicate this honour to each the different brave absorption activists who person stood up to oppression and mislaid their lives – radical similar Alexei Navalny, Boris Nemtsov, and galore others.”

Mr Navalny was a vocal campaigner against Vladimir Putin and spoke retired against authoritative corruption successful Russia.

He died successful a distant Arctic situation successful February this twelvemonth portion serving a 19-year condemnation connected respective charges, including moving an extremist group, which helium said were politically motivated.

He was jailed aft returning successful 2021 from Germany wherever helium was recuperating from a nervus cause poisoning helium blamed connected the Kremlin, and was since fixed 3 situation terms.

Russian officials person vehemently denied engagement some successful the poisoning and successful his death.

Boris Nemtsov, different salient absorption politician, was assassinated connected Moscow’s Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge successful 2015.

Sir Bill, who is the writer of Red Notice: How I Became Putin’s No. 1 Enemy, said: “This honour is conscionable a milestone successful a continued conflict for quality rights and justice.

“There’s truthful galore unspeakable things going connected close present that I request to enactment connected and proceed to enactment on, successful narration to the warfare successful Ukraine, to quality rights abuses each implicit the world.”

He added: “The conflict is conscionable opening – it’s not caller nor over.

“I anticipation this designation makes maine much effectual and a amended quality rights activist, and hopefully I tin assistance much people.”