David Cameron urged to challenge Russia on human rights

Metro

David Cameron has been encouraged to challenge Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin about Russia’s human rights record during his trip to Moscow this week.

The prime minister will fly to Moscow today for talks, as the UK and Russian governments attempt to repair the damage to their relationship caused by the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.
It is hoped the meetings will lead to improved trade links with Russia, but four former foreign secretaries have called on Mr Cameron not to turn a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuses.
Labour’s David Miliband, Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett, and Conservative Sir Malcolm Rifkind have written to the Sunday Times to raise the issue of the thousands of businessmen detained in Russian prisons.

In the letter they urge Mr Cameron to speak to President Medvedev and his influential predecessor, Mr Putin, about the issue of state-sponsored corruption.

It adds: ‘The dangers of this corruption do not stop at Russia’s borders and Alexander Litvinenko’s murder shows the consequences of such lawlessness hitting British shores.

‘In this regard the prime minister has both a domestic and international duty to tackle this issue head on during his visit.’

William Browder, the founder of Hermitage Capital Management, has also called on the Conservative leader to challenge Russia on human rights and corruption.

Mr Browder’s tax lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was arrested after uncovering a fraud involving policemen and state officials and died in a Moscow jail in 2009.

‘Our prime minister has a duty of care to the British people and to British businesses not to encourage them to get involved in a situation where they put their money and their employees directly in harm’s way,’ he told the Sunday Telegraph.

‘There is way too much information out there about the terrible things that regularly happen to foreign businesses in Russia for him to make any positive representations about investing in Russia.’ payday loan быстрые займы онлайн https://zp-pdl.com/best-payday-loans.php zp-pdl.com быстрые займы на карту