Press Release
Hermitage Capital
25 October 2012 – The European Parliament passed with an overwhelming majority a resolution calling on the Council of Ministers of the EU to impose EU wide visa sanctions and asset freezes on Russian officials involved in the false arrest, torture and death of whisleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The European Parliament also called on the Russian government to conduct a credible investigation into Magnitsky’s death and to cease persecuting his mother and widow.
The report was presented by Kristiina Ojuland MEP (Estonia/ALDE Party), the special rapporteur on the Magnitsky case in the European Parliament. On the floor of the European Parliament, Ms. Ojuland said: “Although former president Dmitry Medvedev promised to cast light to this case, we still have not seen justice served. Visa bans and asset freezes are concrete reactions…and demonstrate the EU’s value based policy. Let us be clear, the Magnitsky case is more than a tragedy of an individual fighting organized crime. …we cannot let EU banks accept the fortunes of corrupt individuals stealing from the Russian people.”
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/afet/pr/908/908403/908403en.pdf
The EU Parliament has twice before called for progress in Russia’s investigation into Sergei Magnitsky death. Because of the lack of action, the EU Parliament is now specifically calling on the Council of Ministers of the EU to implement sanctions. Similar calls have been made by parliamentarians of Sweden, Holland, the UK and Poland, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
Marek Migalski (Poland /ECR Party) said: “Sergei Magnitsky…was killed, was tortured in a Russian prison. Our responsibility is just doing the minimum – that which is proposed by Ms Ojuland’s report – that is the introduction of visa bans, the freezing of assets on those whom we suspect may be involved in the process of killing this innocent man.”
Andris Piebalgs, a member of the European Commission and speaking on behalf of the EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs said: “The Magnitsky case has become one of the emblematic cases in this respect, not only for the Russian people but also for the EU. The … reason why we continue to be active in the Magnitsky case is that we believe that Russia itself should have a great interest in solving it.”
The next step is for the recommendations voted on by MEPs to be brought up at the next meeting of the EU Council of Ministers.
For further information please contact:
Hermitage Capital
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