Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky.

Why Some Russians Need the West’s Help

The Moscow Times

“The West will help us.”

Ostap Bender’s famous phrase from Ilf and Petrov’s “The 12 Chairs” may have been on Konstantin Fetisov’s mind when he met with Michael Posner — U.S. assistant secretary of state for the bureau of democracy, human rights and labor — in the Moscow region a week ago.

Fetisov is a leader of the movement opposing the construction of the Kremlin-supported $8 billion Moscow-St. Petersburg highway that will travel through the Khimki forest. He was beaten badly by unidentified assailants last November, leaving him with impaired speech and memory loss.

During his meeting with Fetisov, Posner said the United States needs to “redouble” its efforts to press Russia on protecting human rights.