Eight British MPs and Peers vote against holiding Russia to account for human rights abuses, WHY???
Hat tip to the Guido Faulkes Blog where I learnt that 6 British MPs and two peers (all members of the parliamentary forum for the member states of the Council of Europe) voted against holding Russia to account for a horrifying record of human rights abuses. Why did they do this???
Just one example of the many abuses is that of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer, who uncovered a multimillion dollar scandal involving government, police and mafia. Soon after making the allegations he was arrested and died in custody like so many others who have been brave enough to speak out against Putin’s government. See Guido Faulkes Blog for details and this Economist article.
So the question is why did Five British Conservative MPs – Brian Binley, James Clappison, Edward Leigh, Ian Liddell-Grainger and Robert Walter – plus two Tory peers and the LibDem MP Mike Hancock join with Azerbaijan, Serbia and Armenia and other assorted communists and Putin supporters in blocking the motion calling for Russia to have to explain itself??
I hope someone is investigating this. займы без отказа buy over the counter medicines https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-in-america.php https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-cash-advances.php займы на карту
Magnitski Sanctions: “a strong political signal against corruption and impunity”
European Parliament adopted last week “Sanctions Magnitski” to send a strong political signal against corruption and impunity in Russia. Stephanie Brancaforte from Avaaz explains the aim of this action.
The New Federalist: Could you remind us what about is the vote on “Magnitsky Sanctions” in committee in the European Parliament this week?
Stephanie Brancaforte: The so-called Magnitsky sanctions target Russian officials involved in the death of the international lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. MEP Kristiina Ojuland submitted a proposal for the EU governments to make a list of about 60 suspected officials and to impose an EU-wide visa ban and asset-freeze on the lot. The EP Foreign Affairs Committee – to whom Avaaz delivered its campaign last week – adopted this proposal by 62 votes against two last week.
Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer, died in November 2009 after being held for 358 days in a pre-trial detention centre. He had been arrested himself after alleging systematic and large-scale corruption and theft from the Russian government sanctioned by officials. Though suffering from serious ill health, he was refused adequate medical treatment and died eight days before he would have had to be released or brought to trial.
TNF: Is it so important that Europe take a political action on this subject?
Stephanie Brancaforte: The death of Sergei Magnitsky is part of a pattern of government injustice and manipulation of the judiciary in Russia. More recently, the condemnation of Pussy Riot focused world attention on the tightening repression in Russia:clamping down on public protest, electoral fraud, media intimidation, banning gay rights parades for 100 years, and detaining and beating opposition leaders like chess champion Garry Kasparov.
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“Magnitsky Law” as a universal tool?
The rejection of the Duma’s Speaker to lead the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg) made headlines: apparently Sergey Naryshkin didn’t like to hear the report on Russia, examining its fulfillment of international obligations during the last seven years, simply labeling it as ‘a Russo-phobic’.
This was largely interpreted as an incapability to withstand well-grounded criticism by international partners – the 46 parliaments of member-states who expect the Kremlin to honor its international obligations on democratic development, including respect for Human Rights.
From the moment of the alleged flawed legislative elections the authoritarian rule in Russia has been desperate to keep the grip on power at any cost, a traditional Soviet-style violation of individual human rights attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
The season in the Duma started with a scandalous precedent of the stripping of a mandate from one of the most vocal critics of Putin, Gennady Goudkov (left-wing) who became subject of financial investigation shortly after he publically called Putin to step down.
The persecution of genuine political opponents followed after the draconian measures initiated by the Kremlin to silence the civil society: restricting demonstrations, use of internet, foreign aid, dramatically raising fines for all kind of civil disobediences, re-introduction of criminal charges for slander, all incompatible with the constitution.
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Latvian prosecutors open probe into bank links to Magnitsky case
Latvian prosecutors are set to investigate claims implicating several of the country’s banks in the alleged Russian tax fraud scheme that blew up into an international incident when it led to the 2009 death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in detention in Moscow, according to investigative journalism NGO Re:Baltica. The cast of characters implicated represents a roll call of Latvians that have regularly cropped up in relation to questionable Russian and Ukrainian state deals.
The Latvian prosecutor’s office announced late on October 2 that it has reversed an earlier decision by the state police not to investigate whether Latvian banks helped to launder at least $63m out of Russia in 2007. The funds are claimed to stem from a huge tax fraud operation alleged by Hermitage Capital against members of Russia’s tax police.
Alexander Cernisovs, chief prosecutor responsible for organized crime, told journalists that having studied the evidence from Latvian banks, he has determined that the state police’s decision not to start a criminal investigation was contrary to law and unjustified, reports Re:Baltica. He said he has sent the evidence of Latvian banks’ involvement back to the police for re-investigation.
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Investigation into the Ūkio Bank: Prosecutors are clarifying whether money has been washed through it
Questions have arisen over whether money that was stolen from the Russian budget has been washed through Ūkio Bank, lrytas.lt reported on 25 September. After appeals by the Great Britain fund “Hermitage Capital”, Lithuanian prosecutors are trying to determine if this has happened. It is argued that illegal transactions took place in 2008. The pathways of stolen money have been investigated by the lawyer of Hermitage Capital, Sergej Magnitsky, who died in November 2009 in a Russian prison. Western media has alleged that S. Magnitsky was tortured and later killed.
The General Prosecutor’s Office received a referral by email from Hermitage Capital on July 31th, and launched a preliminary study the following day. According to head Prosector of the General’s Office Communications Division, Vilma Žemaitytė, “They [Hermitage Capital] claim that through the Ukio Bank accounts money washings had been made in Lithuania.”
The investigation was launched under the Criminal Code, Article 216 paragraph 1. This article punishes “illegally acquired money or property legalization”. The penalty associated with such a violation can entail imprisonment of up to seven years.
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Latvia to check for bank links with Magnitsky case
Latvia is to investigate whether the country’s banks played any part in an alleged multi-million dollar Russian tax fraud made public by Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in detention in Russia in 2009.
The state prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday it had reversed a decision by police to reject a complaint from British law firm Brown Rudnick alleging Latvian banks were used to launder $19 million.
Prosecutors have checked material linked to the case and sent the complaint back to the police for further investigation as it was rejected without considering the facts presented.
In July, Latvian authorities received a letter from Brown Rudnick, acting on behalf of London-based Hermitage, once the largest foreign investor in Russia and for whom Magnitsky worked, alleging six Latvian banks had been involved in laundering $19 million.
The case stems from whistleblowing by Magnitsky, who died just under a year after being held on tax evasion and fraud charges which, former colleagues said, were fabricated by police investigators he had accused of stealing $230 million from the Russian state through fraudulent tax refunds.
While Magnitsky’s death was officially attributed to an undetected illness, the Kremlin’s own human rights council has said he was probably beaten to death.
U.S. lawmakers have drafted legislation named after Magnitsky that would impose sanctions on Russian officials involved in human rights violations.
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Expressed concerns to Russia
Once a year, the presidency and I, meet Russia’s ministers of justice and home affairs to discuss current topics within the area of justice, freedom and security – visa, human trafficking, drug smuggling, justice and migration. This permanent dialogue also includes human rights, corruption and the rule of law.
Today, the meeting was held in Nicosia, Cyprus, together with the Cypriote minister of Justice and minister of Home affairs. Russia is an important partner to the EU, and I have met the Russian minister of justice Alexander Konovalov several times. The meeting included a review of the general situation, especially the negotiations on visa liberalisation. This is done according an action plan, the so called “common steps”, where there is progress, but slow. Meanwhile, we facilitate in different ways the visa procedures between Russia and EU, making it easier for our citizens, tourists and businessmen to travel between EU and Russia.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, I expressed our concerns about the developments on the area of human rights and justice in Russia. We have seen several worrying examples lately – the severe and disproportionate sentence against the group Pussy Riot, the new law against NGO:s, the so called LGBT propaganda laws, and the Sergei Magnitsky case – for which we expect an independent investigation. The people accountable for his death must be brought to justice. онлайн займы unshaven girl https://zp-pdl.com/fast-and-easy-payday-loans-online.php https://zp-pdl.com/get-a-next-business-day-payday-loan.php быстрые займы онлайн
Magnitsky’s Mother Says Her Son Was Tortured To Death
The mother of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky says the administration of a Moscow detention center created “torture conditions” that killed her son while he was in custody.
Natalia Magnitskaya testified on October 2 at the trial of the sole defendant in the case — Dmitry Kratov, former deputy warden at Moscow’s Butyrka detention center.
Kratov is charged with negligence leading to Magnitsky’s death in November 2009.
Magnitskaya said that more individuals must be held accountable for her son’s death.
The judge rejected Magnitskaya’s request to launch additional investigations into the case.
Authorities say Magnitsky — the attorney for the London-based Hermitage Capital Management — died of heart failure while awaiting trial on charges of tax evasion.
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Sergey Magnitsky, Latvia, money laundering
Are you horrified by the murder of Sergey Magnitsky? Are you disgusted by the involvement of Russian government officials in the related theft of hundreds of millions of dollars? Please know that Latvian banks were involved. The Latvian offshore banking system is funded by the EBRD, EU, IMF, and World Bank. Why does the world tolerate this outrageous use of taxpayer money?
The attached letter details the movement of stolen money through the following Latvian banks: AB.LV, Baltic International Bank, Baltic Trust Bank, Paritate Bank, Rietumu Bank, and Trasta Komercbank. All have links with Parex Bank, and all used shell companies from the same “International Overseas Services” that was run by the former Parex chairman. When half of the assets of Parex disappeared in 2008, the EBRD, EU, IMF, and World Bank bailed out the shell-company depositors with a loan that must be paid back by Latvian taxpayers. A large part of the bailed out deposits were re-deposited at AB.LV.
Please read this letter from Brown Rudnick to the Latvian General Prosecutor regarding Latvian banks involved in the Sergey Magnitsky case:
Latvian Complaint signed FULL (2) микрозайм онлайн займ на карту https://zp-pdl.com/how-to-get-fast-payday-loan-online.php www.zp-pdl.com unshaven girl
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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
