European Parliament’s Vote on Magnitsky Jars Russians
Senior lawmakers on Wednesday criticized a resolution by the European Parliament to establish a list of banned Russians similar to one under discussion in the U.S. Congress.
“This is yet another gross attempt to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs and [constitutes] bold pressure on our judicial system,” said Leonid Slutsky, deputy head of Russia’s delegation to the European Parliament and a Liberal Democratic Party member in the State Duma.
“Russia will not leave these attempts unanswered,” he told reporters.
Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Duma’s International Affairs Committee and a United Russia member, said the proposal “aims to divide Europe and Russia” and might create a “negative political climate,” Ekho Moskvy radio reported.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved the nonbinding resolution, which recommends entry bans and asset freezes for officials implicated in the 2009 prison death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
The lawmakers, who rejected a similar proposal two years ago, this time included a statement urging the Russian government “to conduct a credible and independent investigation encompassing all aspects of the case” and “to put an end to the widespread corruption and to reform the judicial system.”
The resolution also asks EU leaders, during their talks with Russian officials, to bring up Magnitsky and “the issue of intimidation and impunity in cases involving human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers in a more determined, resolute and result-oriented manner.”
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Kristiina Ojuland on the Sergei Magnitsky case
Speech by Kristiina Ojuland MEP (ALDE party) on imposing EU-wide common visa restrictions for Russian officials involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case.
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EU Lawmakers Call For Sanctions On Russians Involved In Magnitsky Case
The European Parliament has overwhelmingly approved a proposal recommending common visa-restriction regimes and asset freezes to target Russian officials involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
It’s the second time such a resolution has come from Europarliamentarians, with EU members balking at a similar effort two years ago.
In addition to the measures by EU member states, the latest proposal calls on Russia “to conduct a credible and independent investigation encompassing all aspects of the case” and to stop widespread corruption by reforming the judicial system.
The text urges the EU to raise those issues in bilateral meetings with Russia authorities “in a more determined, resolute and result-oriented manner.”
Sergei Magnitsky, a Moscow attorney, was allegedly tortured and beaten to death following nearly a year of pretrial custody in 2009 after uncovering alleged massive fraud by Russian authorities.
The European Parliament passed a similar resolution in 2010, but EU member states have stopped short of endorsing an EU-wide sanctions regime.
Magnitsky’s mother, Natalia Magnitskaya, testified on October 2 at the trial of the sole defendant in the case — Dmitry Kratov, a former deputy warden at Moscow’s Butyrka detention center who is charged with negligence leading to the lawyer’s death. She has urged a further investigation and said other individuals must be held accountable for her son’s killing.
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Mother of dead Russian lawyer Magnitsky makes plea to ECHR
The mother of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in November 2009 while being detained in a Moscow prison cell, has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to declare that Russia has violated the European Convention of Human Rights in relation to Magnitsky’s death.
The claim, which was filed on Wednesday 17 October on behalf of Natalya Magnitskaya by the Open Society Justice Initiative, claims that Russian law enforcement agencies perverted the criminal justice system to silence Magnitsky after he stumbled upon what he believed was a cover-up by Russian state officials to embezzle an estimated $230m (£144m) from the Russian treasury.
Magnitsky, a lawyer at Firestone Duncan in Moscow, was initially detained in November 2008 on suspicion of assisting his client, UK-based investment fund Hermitage Capital Management, to allegedly evade around $17.4m (£11m) in taxes. The lawsuit alleges that Magnitsky was denied medical treatment and was beaten by prison guards just prior to his death.
The claim asks the Strasbourg court to find Russia guilty of violating six articles of the European Convention of Human Rights, which includes articles relating to torture, unlawful detention, retaliation against whistleblowers and the denial of right to life.
“It’s a hugely significant case as it is emblematic of unfortunately how much human rights violations pervade the justice system in Russia and the dangers of those who try to expose these violations and the abominable pre-trial conditions that they’re subjected to,” James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative and the lead public interest lawyer working on the case, told The Lawyer.
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Magnitsky Case Goes to Strasbourg Court
The mother of Sergei Magnitsky, the anti-corruption lawyer who died in pretrial detention in 2009, has filed a complaint in the European Court of Human Rights.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Natalya Magnitskaya by the Open Society Justice Initiative, a George Soros-founded human rights group, accuses Russian law enforcement agencies of manipulating the criminal justice system to silence her son after he exposed a $230 million tax fraud involving Interior Ministry officials.
“Sergei Magnitsky was wrongly detained and tortured because he unearthed evidence of grand theft at senior levels of the Russian government, then refused to back down,” said James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative and the lead lawyer on the case.
“Though Mr. Magnitsky’s courage was unusual, his fate is not. His case shines a spotlight on the corruption and abuse which pervade Russia’s justice system,” he said in an e-mailed statement.
The complaint, filed Wednesday, says Magnitsky’s death was the result of deliberate abuse while he was moved between five Moscow detention centers over the course of a year. It says he was persistently denied medical treatment for a life-threatening illness and was beaten by guards just before he died.
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Foreign Policy Questions for the Candidates
The spirited exchange at last Thursday’s vice presidential debate elevated attention to foreign policy, which will be a dominant theme of the next two debates. President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney have begun to flesh out their views on the challenges America faces abroad, but they have said little about a range of pressing international issues and skirted critical aspects of stories that currently grab the news headlines. In an effort to stimulate deeper debate on U.S. foreign policy, particularly on the future of democracy and human rights around the world, Freedom House submits the following questions to the presidential candidates:
Strategic Countries
1. To President Obama: How does your stated commitment to prevent mass atrocities apply to Syria? The death toll has passed 30,000, and the Syrian regime continues to bomb civilians. Moreover, the regime has crossed the red line you set against moving chemical weapons. At what point do you think more forceful U.S. measures will be needed to stop the killing in Syria?
2. To Governor Romney: You have criticized the Obama administration’s record on supporting human rights in China and pledged to vigorously engage Chinese civil society groups that promote democratic reform. How would your support for democracy advocates in China differ from President Obama’s?
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Honesty Without Fear – Jamison Firestone
Steve Kohn talks with Jamison Firestone, the law partner and friend of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian whistleblower who was arrested, tortured, and eventually killed for uncovering a $230 million tax fraud scheme involving the collaboration of Russian government officials and convicted criminals. Tune in to hear about the devastating response
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Vladimir Putin must find it hilarious that David Cameron won’t back Europe on Russia’s abuses
I’m not sure who will pick up the well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU, but it should be the High Representative Cathy Ashton, who will be dining this Sunday with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. Cathy has more steel in her than Corby and Corus put together (albeit wrapped in a paisley shawl), but this will be tough, as the EU is finally beginning to lose patience with Russia.
Successive European leaders used to fly solo to Moscow and do their own little deals with Vladimir Putin, but Russia’s disgraceful intransigence on Syria, together with the departure of Putin’s mate Silvio Berlusconi and arrival of François Hollande in France, has persuaded them that Europe needs to adopt a more united front. All of this puts Cathy firmly in the driving seat in the run-up to the EU-Russia summit later this year.
Sadly, the fly in the ointment is David Cameron, who is trying to play both ends against the middle. British relations with Moscow have been fraught since the murders in Britain of Alexander Litvinenko and in Russia of the lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who worked for a British firm.
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THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
“In simple black chairs sitting judge, investigator and a prison guard. Their decisions have led to the death of a young man who is in jail. Now they – the accused, and judges them public” – wrote in Der Sarah Hofbauer Standard.
Sergei Magnitsky, the author writes, struggled with the death of 1 hour and 18 minutes. Play called “1 hour 18 minutes,” staged by the Russian theater Teatr.doc depicts not taken place in reality “a judicial process that would be worthy of the deceased.”
newspaper reminds that in 2008, Magnitsky uncovered resounding economic crime, but the Russian police, instead of arresting the perpetrators took Magnitsky. In prison, he complained of pain, but he was denied medical treatment, and he died in November 2009 – “crouched on the floor, bound hand and foot.”
premiere in German speaking countries, the author continues, was held on September 29 at the Festival of Contemporary Art “Styrian Autumn” in Graz.
“Director Mikhail Ugarov makes actors one by one to go out and defend the case Magnitsky investigator asks sympathy doctor speaks calmly and do not feel guilty, the judge of arrogance. Casual suits, almost empty stage and simple lighting up a strong contrast with the complexity of the content. Actors play awesome, and they manage to charm the audience, despite the Russian language and the subtitles are not always synchronized with what is happening, “- says retsenzentka. займ онлайн hairy woman https://zp-pdl.com/emergency-payday-loans.php https://zp-pdl.com/get-quick-online-payday-loan-now.php hairy woman
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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
