U.K. Eyes Magnitsky Suspects
Britain has joined the United States in taking steps to bar entry to Russian officials implicated in the 2009 jail death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced strengthened immigration rules in its annual human rights report this week that would make it difficult for Russians accused of human rights violations in the Magnitsky case to enter Britain.
The U.S. State Department last year blacklisted 60 Russian officials implicated in Magnitsky’s death, and U.S. lawmakers are considering legislation that would bar people accused of human rights abuses at home from entering the United States. hairy woman hairy woman https://zp-pdl.com/best-payday-loans.php https://www.zp-pdl.com онлайн займы
UK restricts entry for rights abuse suspects
Britain has strengthened its immigration rules to make it more difficult for people believed to have perpetrated human rights abuses abroad to enter the country, according to Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.
In a move this week that could make it particularly difficult for individuals accused of human rights abuses in Russia to enter the UK, the FCO announced a change to British immigration rules in its annual Human Rights Report this week.
In that report, the FCO states for the first time that “where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the United Kingdom.”
Before this week’s change, UK immigration rules stated broadly that an individual “could be refused a visa or entry on the general grounds that entry to the UK would not be conducive to the public good”.
FCO officials say this week’s change implies a deliberate new emphasis by the UK government on the need to penalise human rights abuses.
“Where there is reliable evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the presumption is that they would not be allowed entry in to the UK,” said an official. “Many people are drawn to visit London to buy property, invest money and educate their children. What we are saying is that if you are guilty of human rights abuses you cannot now expect to do that.”
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Putin’s Choice
Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin as Russia’s president was always a foregone conclusion. But, when he is sworn in on May 7, he will retake formal charge of a country whose politics – even Putin’s own political future – has turned unpredictable.
Putin’s return to the presidency, following a period of de facto control as prime minister, was supposed to signify a reassuring continuation of “business as usual” – a strong, orderly state devoid of the potentially destabilizing effects of multiparty democracy and bickering politicians.
Instead, the Russian people have now challenged the status quo. Their reaction to Putin’s plan – from the announcement last September that President Dmitri Medvedev would stand aside for his mentor, to the deeply flawed parliamentary and presidential elections – and their accumulated resentment of Kremlin cronies’ massive enrichment, has placed pressure on Putin and the top-down system of government that he created.
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Russian Government extends the Case Investigation into Magnitsky’s Death, No New Suspects, Posthumous Prosecution Continues
The Russian government has extended, for the 12th time, the investigation into the death in jail of whistle-blowing lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. The previous deadline, which expired today has now been extended to 24 July 2012: this, despite no new suspects being identified and no new charges brought. The investigation remains under the control of the same Russian officials who are conflicted and compromised by their known roles in Magnitsky’s persecution and the concealment of the corruption he had uncovered. The Russian government claims that the death of Magnitsky, a healthy 37-year old prior to his detention, where he was kept for 358 days without trial in inhumane conditions, was “an inevitable event for which no one was to blame”.
“The investigation into my son’s death cannot be viewed as impartial while it is controlled by the same Deputy General Prosecutor of Russia, Viktor Grin, and his subordinates who have covered up the parties responsible for the $230 million theft exposed by my son and for his torture in custody, whilst failing to protect his rights as required by Article 51 of the Russian Law on Detention,” said Magnitsky’s mother in her complaint to the Russian Investigative Committee.
“It is clear that until the high-ranking law enforcement officials responsible for Magnitsky’s persecution are brought to justice, one cannot call what they are doing a real investigation,” said a Hermitage Capital spokesperson.
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Why the Magnitsky Act Makes Sense
Senator John Kerry recently postponed—once again—the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of the Sergey Magnitsky Act. This is wrong. Individual- and property-rights violations in Russia are undermining government legitimacy, destabilizing the country and preventing investment and business development—and the proposed Magnitsky Act can provide the tools to combat this sad state of affairs.
A weak rule of law and pervasive corruption—including the failing court and law-enforcement systems—are at the heart of these persistent rights violations, which reflect both the Soviet legacy and the older Russian tradition of the patrimonial state. Bad cops and courts are challenging everyday Russians, as well as Western and domestic investors. Top Russian leaders, including presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev, have complained bitterly about the state of affairs but done little to improve things.
Now, Congress has a chance to press for trade reforms that are in the best interests of the United States while supporting the cause of human rights for all. The bipartisan bill was drafted in response to the death of Sergei Magnitsky. He died in detention following his whistle-blowing on massive fraud allegedly committed by Russian officials. It provides a practical and balanced way forward—something that can serve as a prerequisite for the lifting of the obsolete Jackson-Vanik Amendment, a 1974 restriction on trade with authoritarian regimes. The new Magnitsky Act would accommodate Russian membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) while signaling long-term American commitment to the rule of law beyond Jackson-Vanik.
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Dominic Raab MP: “Those with blood on their hands should not be allowed to waltz into this country, as if nothing had happened.”
On Sunday, The Observer trailed new rules enabling individuals to be banned from entering Britain, on the basis of their responsibility – supported by credible evidence – for gross human rights abuses. Whilst The Observer suggested this was a Lib Dem coup, in reality it follows the House of Commons backbench business debate on 7 March, when the House voted unanimously for mandatory targeted sanctions in these cases, including visa bans and asset freezes. A US Bill along the same lines, sponsored by John McCain (R) and Ben Cardin (D), is progressing through the Senate.
I proposed the motion, but critically it was backed by five former Foreign Ministers from the two largest parties. It was inspired by the tragic case of Sergei Magnitsky, a dissident Russian lawyer tortured to death for exposing the biggest tax fraud in Russian history. In the Kafka-esque Russian justice system, it was those who Magnitsky had exposed who initiated his persecution.
The Magnitsky case is a stark reminder of what human rights were designed to protect in the post-war era, at a time when their currency has been devalued by judicial legislation from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, demanding prisoners be given a novel right to vote and blocking Abu Qatada’s deportation because we can’t guarantee him a fair trial in Jordan.
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Invisible President
Dmitri Medvedev has entered his last week as president of Russia: on May 7, he will hand back the office to Vladimir Putin. Having served just one four-year term, he will be remembered as one of the country’s shortest-lived rulers. He will also be remembered as one of country’s shortest rulers. At no more than 5’3”, and with his propensity to wear huge Windsor knots, he often looks like a fourth-grader trying on daddy’s business suit.
What else will Russians remember of Medvedev? My guess is, nothing. People do not like to remember being made to look like fools, which is exactly what many Russians feel he did to them.
At the outset, Medvedev reached out to liberals and intellectuals. Weeks before his election, in February 2008, he had announced that his guiding principle was, “freedom is better than unfreedom.” People might have worried about a leader who found it necessary to turn this truism into a grand pronouncement, but, having been left out in the cold during the previous eight years of Putin’s reign, Russian liberals were eager to be engaged again. Over 40 people accepted invitations to join a newly constituted presidential council for human rights and civil society.
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Russian activist urges UK to publish human rights blacklist
BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union
30 April 2012
Text of report by Gazprom-owned, editorially independent Russian news agency Ekho Moskvy
Moscow, 30 April: Britain should publish the list of people barred from entering the country because of alleged abuse of human rights, executive director of the movement For Human Rights Lev Ponomarev said on the air of Ekho Moskvy radio.
“If it is a state security department [as received] initiative, it will not be public. It is important in this situation that the list be published. Otherwise there is not much point,” Ponomarev said.
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New immigration rules will keep out human rights abusers
By James Hall 30 Apr 2012
Foreigners who have been accused of serious human rights abuses will be banned from visiting the UK under tough new immigration requirements to be outlined today.
The measures will allow ministers to ban non-EU citizens from entering the UK where “credible” evidence exists of past or continuing human rights abuses by the individuals.
The measures will to be included in the Foreign Office’s annual Human Rights Report, which is released today.
Currently people can only be prevented from entering the UK if they are viewed as a threat to national security. Visitors can not be excluded from entering the country on the basis of human rights abuses.
The change has been driven by Foreign Office ministers and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.
The new immigration requirements will only stand when there is “independent” and “reliable” evidence that the person has been involved in human rights abuses.
The new rule will state that: “Foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area may only come to the UK if they satisfy the requirements of the immigration rules.
“Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK.”
However the new rules will not lead to a blanket ban on entry for human-rights abusing foreign officials, including heads of state.
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To learn more about what happened to Sergei Magnitsky please read below
- Sergei Magnitsky
- Why was Sergei Magnitsky arrested?
- Sergei Magnitsky’s torture and death in prison
- President’s investigation sabotaged and going nowhere
- The corrupt officers attempt to arrest 8 lawyers
- Past crimes committed by the same corrupt officers
- Petitions requesting a real investigation into Magnitsky's death
- Worldwide reaction, calls to punish those responsible for corruption and murder
- Complaints against Lt.Col. Kuznetsov
- Complaints against Major Karpov
- Cover up
- Press about Magnitsky
- Bloggers about Magnitsky
- Corrupt officers:
- Sign petition
- Citizen investigator
- Join Justice for Magnitsky group on Facebook
- Contact us
- Sergei Magnitsky
