Key religious group supports human-rights measure linked to Russia trade

The Hill

Support for linking a human rights measure to an upcoming Russia trade bill got an important boost Monday when a key Jewish rights group announced it is backing the bill.

Normal trade relations with Russia is currently conditioned on Russia allowing its Jewish citizens to emigrate. It is subject to an outdated measure known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which was applied in the mid-1980s and which no one thinks is still relevant.

The Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, which backed the initial Jackson-Vanik tie, is now advocating for a new human-rights measure meant to punish those responsible for the death of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky.

The bill, which would subject Russian human-rights abusers to financial sanctions, is opposed by some in the business community who worry it will inadvertently subject U.S. firms that do business in Russia to penalties.

UCSJ joined other religious group on a letter last week to members of Congress urging them to support the Magnitsky bill.

“Among other things, we support this legislation because it specifically targets officials who abuse human rights with effective travel and financial sanctions,” the groups said.

“Because of the well-thought-out terms of this legislation, we believe that this bill will become an effective lever that the United States will have in dealing with this pernicious and growing problem of human rights abuses around the world. We strongly urge you to co-sponsor this bill in the short term and vote for its passage into law,” the letter reads.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will mark up a version of the Magnitsky bill on Tuesday.

The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees will hold hearings this week on linking Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia and the Magnitsky bill.

Russia is slated to join the World Trade Organization this summer. The United States has to grant Russia PNTR, and remove the Jackson-Vanik condition, this summer or its exports will face higher tariffs going into Russia than will those of other WTO members.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) last week announced his intention to move the Magnitsky bill alongside the PNTR bill.

Russia has vowed to retaliate in some form if the Magnitsky bill becomes law.

Big business lobbyists this month were able to get a House version of the bill limited to rights violations in Russia, but they are still concerned that the bill could apply to vendors who do business with people accused of human-rights violations.

The National Foreign Trade Council and USA*Engage on Monday urged senators on Foreign Relations to vote against the Magnistky bill. hairy women онлайн займы https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-in-america.php www.zp-pdl.com buy viagra online