Posts Tagged ‘foreign and commonwealth office’

05
April 2011

Magnitsky Case Highlights Russian Corruption

The Windsor Square

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office has named the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year old Russian anti-corruption lawyer killed in police custody in Moscow, as one of the most serious violations of the rule of law and human rights in Russia in its 2010 “Human Rights and Democracy” Report published last week. The 2010 Report highlights the call by the European Parliament for EU-wide visa and economic sanctions against the Russian officials involved in Magnitsky’s death.

“The investigation into the death in pre-trial detention of Sergei Magnitsky due to inadequate medical treatment had not concluded by the end of 2010. On the anniversary of his death on 16 November, the Prosecutor-General’s Office announced that it was extending the ‘preliminary’ investigation until 24 February 2011. On the same day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for sanctions against officials involved in Magnitsky’s death to prevent them from entering the EU, and to freeze their assets,” said the FCO in the 2010 Report.

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05
April 2011

Human Rights and Democracy: The 2010 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report – Russia

UNHCR – Refworld

Despite some minor reforms and encouraging public statements about human rights in 2010, there was no evidence of systemic, far-reaching change. Continuing negative trends included restrictions on freedom of assembly, harassment and obstruction of NGOs and journalists, and racial discrimination and racist violence. The trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev was widely condemned for failing to adhere to basic standards of justice. No new information emerged in the investigations into the murders of the human rights defenders Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova, or the death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky. Frequent reports of grave human rights abuses in the North Caucasus continued. The government also failed to provide full redress to victims of past abuses in Chechnya and elsewhere in the region.

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