American-born Putin critic blocked from U.S. after lobbying Canada

WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from their federal government after a foe of Vladimir Putin, born in America, was allegedly denied re-entry, in a case with crossborder repercussions.

Bill Browder, born in the U.S. but now a British citizen, says he has been placed on an international police watch-list and blocked from a flight to the U.S., and he accuses the Russian government of being behind it.

He had just successfully lobbied Canada to become the latest country to adopt a so-called Magnitsky law that targets corrupt officials of the Putin regime, and he is accusing the Russian government of retaliating by placing his name with Interpol.

“United [Airlines] wouldn’t let me board a flight,” Browder said on Twitter. “Unless Interpol lifts this notice, I will be arrested at any international border.”

The developments are the latest twist in a dark saga involving him and the Russian leader.

Browder was a major hedgefund manager in Russia who complained about oligarchs stealing from companies he’d invested in. Initially, in the early 2000s, Putin was his ally — Browder’s complaints about corruption would be followed by arrests.

The arrests stopped. Browder accuses Putin of becoming personally involved in corruption schemes, building a multibilliondollar fortune, and turning on him.

A crusading young lawyer working to investigate corruption for him, Sergei Magnitsky, was suddenly arrested by some of the very people he’d investigated. He was beaten repeatedly in prison and eventually died.

Browder has since made it his life’s mission to avenge his friend’s death. He has succeeded in getting several countries to pass laws in Magnitsky’s honour. Canada adopted it a few days ago.

The Canadian law allows authorities to block financial services for foreigners complicit in extrajudicial killings, torture, or other human-rights violations in efforts to protect a government that abuses basic rights.

U.S. Sen. John McCain called Browder a champion of anticorruption fighters in Russia and called for an immediate U.S. review of his status.