Ministers in joint attack on Russian corruption

The Times

Three former foreign secretaries will join forces this week to condemn “corruption and impunity” in Russia ahead of the presidential election on Sunday.

David Miliband, Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind will urge the Commons to introduce travel bans and asset freezes against officials implicated in the death of a young lawyer fighting government corruption in 2009.

Mr Miliband will press the case of Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Russian prison after investigating the country’s biggest tax fraud, and make clear that he believes the episode “has rightly become a cause célèbre for what is wrong in Russia” .

In a warning shot at Vladimir Putin, days before he is expected to be returned as president, Mr Miliband will point out that “democratic spirit [in Russia is] stronger than many people thought”. The motion, put together by Dominic Raab, the Conservative MP and former Foreign Office lawyer, is backed by MPs from across the political spectrum.

Sir Malcolm has been pressing for travel bans against 60 named individuals connected with the Magnitsky case. Sir Menzies Campbell, another co-sponsor of the motion, links the case to Russia’s decision to continue to give backing to President Assad in Syria.

Mr Magnitsky was an anti-corruption lawyer for Hermitage Capital who uncovered a £143 million tax fraud involving interior ministry officials and the police. He informed the authorities and testified against them, only to find himself arrested by the same police on corruption charges. He died after 11 months in prison, aged 37. Officials claimed he fell ill with pancreatitis in hospital, but evidence suggests he was beaten and denied medical treatment.

As part of the submission to Parliament, the MPs say: “The issue is topical because of the deteriorating political situation in Russia, and widespread concerns about its human rights record. The issue has wider resonance, given human rights abuses in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring, including in Syria.” срочный займ займ на карту https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-in-america.php zp-pdl.com срочный займ