Posts Tagged ‘EU’
MEPs demand EU sanctions over Magnitsky murder, again
MEPs on the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee have piled fresh political pressure on their governments to impose sanctions on Russian officials linked to the murder of whistleblower accountant Sergei Magnitsky.
In a resolution drafted by Estonian liberal MEP Kristiina Ojuland, MEPs on Thursday (20 September) by 62 votes against two called on EU governments to make a list of over 60 suspected officials and to impose an EU-wide visa ban and asset-freeze on the lot.
The asset freeze is to extend to the alleged culprits’ families.
The move would see the EU “take a coherent and pro-active stance on … serious human rights violations in Russia,” the resolution said.
Speaking after the vote, Ojuland said that imposing the sanctions would “put real pressure on Russian authorities to start taking criticism on human rights seriously” and that the measures would be “a necessary step against corruption and human rights violators.”
Magnitksy was allegedly tortured and beaten to death in Moscow’s Butryka jail in 2009.
He had been arrested 11 months earlier after exposing a multi-million-dollar tax fraud by high-level Kremlin officials and FSB intelligence officers.
The resolution is the third time the EU parliament has called for action in the case.
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EU-RUSSIA: “MAGNITSKY ACT” RECEIVES SUPPORT!
MEPs gave green light to the initiative of Kristiina Ojuland for visa restrictions and assets freezing to individuals implicated in death of the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Today Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament voted for a recommendation to the EU Council with a score of 63 -2 – “no”, 1 – “abstention”.
On the eve of a vote Ojuland as a special reporter on the case held a debate with the representatives of differentn political groups in the European Parliament on amendments made.
“Hermitage Capital” Bill Browder, Magnitsky’s former employer, as a special guest of the hearing and an expert on the case called for ‘justice for Sergei’.
“We have all the evidence that Sergei had been beaten on the last night of his life, and he had been tortured before. Nevertheless Among 60 individuals implicated in the affair the only one who was prosecuted was a prison doctor, for not treating Sergei from the sicknesses he never had ” – said Browder.
Meanwhile the “Hermitage Capital” conducted its own investigation and the results were so convincing that the 39 million US doll in the accounts of corrupt officials have been frozen in Swiss banks recently.
“They love to travel and buy property in Europe, – observed Browder. – We must deny them this privilege, if we can’t get justice in Russia’. Since Magnitsky’s death the corrupt officials haven’t changed their luxurious lifestyle, acquiring properties and enjoying the European lifestyle. Moreover, the impunity encourages them to continue to insult the memory of the deceived and intimidate the victim’s relatives seeking justice.
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Magnitsky Case ‘Not to Affect’ Russia-EU Visa Talks – Diplomat
Controversy around the high-profile death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 will not affect talks between Russia and the European Union on scrapping visa restrictions, a senior official said on Monday.
“The talks are going ahead according to schedule,” Russia’s envoy to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told RIA Novosti.
Chizhov called against “politicizing this situation” and said there would be a meeting of “high-ranking officials” at an unspecified date which would “clear up all the remaining questions.”
The Netherlands imposed travel bans on some 60 Russian officials over the Magnitsky case in July 2011, and a number of EU parliaments have vowed to follow suit.
Magnitsky, who worked for a British investment fund, was detained in November 2008 after accusing officials of a $230 million tax fraud. He died a year later in his cell after deliberate neglect and beatings, the Kremlin’s human rights body said in a report in 2011.
Last month, a U.S. Senate panel unanimously passed the “Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act,” a bill that would penalize Russian officials linked with Magnitsky’s jailing and death, as well as other human rights abusers in Russia.
Russia has called the bill an attempt to interfere in its domestic affairs and threatened to respond.
In January, a senior EU official said an agreement to ease visa procedures for short-term stays may be signed within the next six months. hairy girl займ на карту https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-cash-advances.php https://zp-pdl.com/apply-for-payday-loan-online.php займ на карту
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OJULAND: “MAGNITSKY ACT” IS A SURGICAL STRIKE ON CORRUPTION”
“I am extremely pleased with this visit, as it allows Americans to get acquainted in-depth with the EU policy towards Russia which is our strategic partner – said Ambassador Vale del Almeida greeting MEP Kristiina Ojuland – reporter on ‘Magnitsky Law’ in premises of the EU delegation.
On the one hand, none of the serious problems of international agenda as the conflict in Syria, or Iran’s nuclear program can be solved without Russia’s participation, on the other hand, we can’t practice “real-politics” turning a blind eye to human rights problems in Russia. Genuine partnership requires an open exchange of views, including criticism. “, – continued del Almeida.
Arriving of the MEP Kristiina Ojuland to Washngton at the voting day for “Magnitsky Act” in the Senat is not a mere coincidence. More recently Ojulnad, appointed as a reporter on the case of Magnitsky in the European Parliament, – will participate in the conference “Towards Democratic Russia” with Senators Benjamin Cardin and Kelly Ayotte – which will be held on June 27 at the Congress.
Further Ojuland planned the meetings with representatives of different political forces, in particular, with Senator McCain. “We live in times of an individual, not collective responsibility, so the replacement of “Jackson-Vanik amendment’ to the “Magnitsky Law” is a fair and modern solution for fighting corruption – said Ojuland. – ‘Magnitsky Law” – is a surgical strike on corruption, it is not directed against the Russian people. ” Despite the approval of the Senate to become law, “bill Magnitsky” should get the green light in the U.S. House of Representatives that will not happen before the autumn of this year.
However, the opinion of senators has significantly advanced the struggle for justice for the deceased Sergei Magnitsky and against corruption in Russia in general. “In the European Parliament there is a growing interest for the idea of” ‘Magnitsky law” among representatives of different political forces.
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FPI and Freedom House joint event: “Toward a Democratic Russia”
Yesterday in Washington DC, the Foreign Policy Initiative and Freedom House along with Senator Ben Cardin, Senator Kelly Ayotte, Kristiina Ojuland MEP and former Russian PM Mikhail Kasyanov debated how Russia can move towards democracy in the future.
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EU-Russia Summit: deficiencies in the rule of law in Russia cannot be swept under the carpet. Tunne Kelam MEP, Laima Andrikiene MEP and Bernd Posselt MEP
EPP Group in European Parliament
“Concerns about deficiencies in the rule of law and the abuse of human rights in Russia cannot be swept under the carpet by EU leaders attending this weekend’s EU-Russia Summit”, said Members of the EPP Group Tunne Kelam, Laima Andrikiene and Bernd Posselt. “In particular, the cases of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Sergei Magnitsky should be raised. These summits are an opportunity for frank discussion and the EU should not lose this opportunity.”
“The EU’s dependence on Russian energy exports can sometimes make us reluctant to criticise the Kremlin and point out our concerns. However, if the EU really cares about its own values, it should not hesitate to stress those values to others. Russia is a member of the Council of Europe and must be held to its commitments under international law. This is no time to go soft on Russia”, said Laima Andrikiene MEP.
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Russia Tries to Turn Tables on Human Right
In an attempt to deflect criticism against crackdowns on political protests at home, senior Russian officials on Monday shot back at Western critics, lambasting racism and xenophobia in Europe.
Foreign Ministry and State Duma officials joined researchers and members of nongovernmental organizations in urging representatives of the European Union present at a round-table discussion not to use Russia’s human rights record as a political tool.
“The West doesn’t tolerate criticism of its own human rights violations,” said Vasily Nebenzya, head of the Foreign Ministry’s department for humanitarian cooperation and human rights.
“Human rights have become a weapon,” he said, adding that Russia would treat its critics “with mistrust when they try to teach us [to observe] human rights … as long as our concern [about human rights violations in Europe] is ignored.”
The speeches presented few figures and were very heavy with emotion and personal opinion.
Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s permanent representative to the European Union, suggested that the EU was guilty of hypocrisy for having not yet joined the 1953 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which Russia partially ratified in 1998.
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ALDE calls for EU wide visa ban on Russian officials involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case
The ALDE Group in the European Parliament has today launched a procedure inside the European Parliament seeking to establish a common EU list of officials responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, for the subsequent judicial cover-up and for the on-going and continuing harassment of his mother and widow.
11/04/2012
The ALDE Group in the European Parliament has today launched a procedure inside the European Parliament seeking to establish a common EU list of officials responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, for the subsequent judicial cover-up and for the on-going and continuing harassment of his mother and widow.
The proposal is to impose and implement an EU-wide visa ban on these officials and to freeze any financial assets they, or their immediate family, may hold inside the European Union, along the lines quietly done, or under consideration, in a number of countries.
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MEP Donskis: “Sooner or later Russia will start thinking about life without Putin”
On Tuesday, a hearing on Russia was held during the Subcommittee on Human Rights meeting. Several representatives of civil society and human rights defenders from Russia attended the Subcommittee meeting in order to share information about elections, and problems relating to violations of the freedom of association, discrimination and the rule of law.
The European Parliament has adopted more than one resolution concerning Russia which stressed the importance of Russia`s efforts to promote human rights protection, which is important for the development of the EU-Russia relations. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that after the Russian Duma elections and before the upcoming presidential elections the situation in Russia is not improving, as the long-standing problems are not addressed. Furthermore, worrying cases, like that of Sergei Magnitski`s, are not moving forward, and facts brought to light by human rights defenders still frequently remind about the methods used by Russia for the fight against “inconvenient” citizens.
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