New #Magnitsky sanctions motion introduced in British parliament

A new Magnitsky sanctions motion has been introduced in the British parliament. The new motion calls for visa sanctions and UK asset freezes for individuals affected by the US Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act.

The UK’s Magnitsky Sanctions motion expresses concern that “many people in Russia have died as a result of uncovering fraud, corruption and human rights’ abuses carried out in that country”.

The motion names a number of individuals already sanctioned by the US Government in the Magnitsky case, including Russian Interior Ministry officials Pavel Karpov, Artem Kuznetsov, Oleg Silchenko, Natalya Vinogradova, as well Russian tax officials Olga Stepanova and Elena Khimina.

The UK’s early day Magnitsky Sanctions motion has been signed by members of all major UK political parties, including the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Scottish National Party, and Liberal Democrats.

“The British Government should pursue those linked to Magnitsky's death,” said Tom Brake, MP, the primary sponsor of the Magnitsky Sanctions motion.

The new Magnitsky Sanctions motion comes at a time when the Russian government is conducting a full-scale assault on Magnitsky sanctions supporters both inside and outside the country. In the last month the Russian authorities opened a criminal case against William Browder and Alexei Navalny for a purported CIA plot to kill Sergei Magnitsky in Russian police custody. They also opened a criminal case against Alexei Navalny for alleged slander against US-sanctioned Russian Interior Ministry officer Pavel Karpov. In the context of that case, this week the Russian Interior Minister raided Alexei Navalny’s home, seized all his phones, computer and Internet equipment, as well as his daughter’s phone and computer.

US President Obama signed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 into law on December 14, 2012. In February 2016, US Secretary of State John Kerry submitted to Congress the third annual report outlining the US Government’s actions to implement the Magnitsky Act, and a new list of persons added to the Magnitsky sanctions list.

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