Posts Tagged ‘cardin’s list’
No Entry: Will Congress take a tough line on human rights abusers in Russia?
In 2007, a Russian businessman named Oleg Derapaska applied for a multiple-entry visa to enter the United States. Derapaska certainly had some impressive credentials—he is one of the richest men in Russia, with a fortune of $10.7 billion as of 2010, which he made initially by cornering Russia’s aluminum market. He is well traveled, and is the owner of a £25 million home in the Belgravia neighborhood of London. The State Department nevertheless turned him down (though it did grant him a one-time entry visa in 2009). Derapaska’s visa troubles stemmed from allegations that he also has close ties to Russia’s mafia, according to the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets. Although he has been seeking the multiple-entry visa ever since—last year, the Russian foreign ministry even hired the Endeavor Group, the same lobbying firm that represents Angelina Jolie, to help secure him one—so far his efforts have been futile.
Read More →
Facebook
Twitter
Google Buzz
LinkedIn
del.icio.us
Google Bookmarks
Yahoo! Buzz
Tumblr
StumbleUpon
FriendFeed
NewsVine
Digg
Police raid Moscow tax service office, home of deputy head
Police on Wednesday raided the office of the Moscow Administration of the Federal Tax Service and the home of its deputy head as part of an investigation into the attempted theft of $70.7 million by a St. Petersburg firm, a police source said.
The case also involves ten incidences of theft committed by the firm ES – Kontraktstroi – under the guise of VAT refunds, the source said.
“From 9 a.m. raids have been continuing in the office of the Moscow administration of the Federal Tax Service…, and in the building of [Moscow’s] tax inspection number 28 ….Moreover, the home of deputy head of Moscow’s Administration of the Federal Tax Service Olga Chernichuk was also raided,” the source said.
Read More →
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Google Buzz
- LinkedIn
- del.icio.us
- Google Bookmarks
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Tumblr
- StumbleUpon
- FriendFeed
- NewsVine
- Digg
MEPs slam Kremlin for human rights abuses ahead of Putin visit
A few days ahead of the Russian government’s scheduled visit to Brussels to meet with the EU executive, members of the European Parliament have expressed its strong concern about what they consider the malfunctioning of the Kremlin’s systems of governance and justice. The Liberals even spoke in favour of imposing restrictive measures.
In its draft motion for a resolution on the rule of law in Russia, the ALDE group called on the member states to consider imposing “an EU entry ban” on some sixty Russian officials involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky. This Russian lawyer died in prison after he was held in prison for a year without charge. The Liberals also “encouraged” the EU’s law enforcement agencies to “cooperate” in freezing these officials’ bank accounts and other assets.
Read More →
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Google Buzz
- LinkedIn
- del.icio.us
- Google Bookmarks
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Tumblr
- StumbleUpon
- FriendFeed
- NewsVine
- Digg
