Europe

Press Release: EU Foreign Policy Chief Wants Russian Authorities to End the Posthumous Prosecution of Sergei Magnitsky

14 June 2012 – In a strongly-worded statement, EU foreign policy chief has demanded that Russian authorities cease the posthumous prosecution of late Russian whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Responding to concerns over the case raised by Polish MEP, Marek Migalski, Baroness Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said:
 
“The posthumous prosecution of Sergey Magnitsky should be closed. The pressure exerted on Sergey Magnitsky’s mother and widow in this context is unacceptable.”
 
“The EU’s position remains that the comprehensive investigation into the death of Sergey Magnitsky has to be brought to conclusion as soon as possible, bringing all perpetrators to justice,” added EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.
 
However, Baroness Ashton stopped short of addressing the pressing issue of enacting EU-wide visa and economic sanctions on the Russian officials involved in the torture and murder of Mr Magnitsky and the $230 million corruption he uncovered in the heart of the Russian government.
 
“Ms Ashton’s personal efforts of raising the Magnitsky case with Russian leaders at every opportunity are well intended and honourable. However, at this stage, actions, not words are needed to make any difference for the sake of Mr Magnitsky’s family and thousands of other victims of abuse and repression in Russia. The Russian people are looking upon the EU for targeted naming and shaming of those officials who have murdered their citizen and stole $230 million of their funds,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.
 
The enactment of visa and economic sanctions on Russian officials in the Magnitsky case was the subject of three resolutions by the European Parliament – in December 2010, December 2011, and February 2012. On 27 February 2012, in addition, the European Union’s parliamentary delegation to the EU-Russia Cooperation Committee unanimously called upon Baroness Ashton and other EU leaders to implement EU-wide visa bans and asset freezes without any further delay. The resolutions were sparked by the impunity of Russian officials two and a half years since Mr Magnitsky’s murder and the pressure by Russian authorities on the Magnitsky family to intimidate them into ceasing their calls for justice.
 
Last week, the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously voted for the Magnitsky bill that gives the status of law to the visa bans already in place on the Russian officials in the Magnitsky case, and adds a requirement on the U.S. Treasury to freeze the assets of these officials in the U.S.
 
Last month, former Belgian Prime Minister Mr Guy Verhofstadt called upon EU leadership to end the policy of “polite appeasement” of the Russian regime for the sake of democracy and change in Russia and enact Magnitsky sanctions.
 
The EU leadership’s inaction on the Magnitsky sanctions was called “betrayal” by a prominent civil society activist. Zoya Svetova, a journalist with independent New Times magazine and member of the independent prison watchdog, which investigated the circumstances of Magnitsky’s detention and death in custody, and concluded that he had been tortured, said:
 
“I don’t understand why the European national parliaments are taking so long with the adoption of sanctions on Russian officials included on the Magnitsky list. I don’t understand why the European parliament is adopting more and more formidable resolutions stating that Moscow must investigate the murder of Magnitsky, when it has been plain clear for a very long time that nobody is planning to investigate it… It is high time for the West to remind our authorities of their obligations under the “third basket” of the OSCE – to respect human rights. Otherwise, you must admit that the behaviour of the West is not just pragmatism, and, although it may sound pompous, is simply betrayal.” (http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/52543/)
 
“As public protests against the suppression of freedoms and electoral frauds are continuing on the streets of Moscow, and Russian authorities are clamping down on opposition leaders with police searches, summonses for questioning and criminal prosecutions, the argument for Magnitsky sanctions targeting human rights abusers in Russia is unassailable,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.
 
 
 

Greece’s Alleged “Neo-Nazi” Party Attacks Political Rivals

By Connie Hong
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ATHENS, Greece — Dubbed as the “neo-Nazi” party of Greece, Golden Dawn’s image worsened after the party’s spokesperson, Ilias Kasidiaris, physically attacked political rivals on live television last Thursday.

Golden Dawn's Ilias Kasidiaris strikes political rival Liania Kanelli. (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)

Kasidiaris was invited to appear on the political talk show along with members of six other parties that won parliamentary seats on May 6.  Tensions increased as the topic of discussion turned from the country’s natural resources to its political history.  Kasidiaris traded insults with two female left-wing politicians before throwing a glass of water at one and hitting the face of the other three times.

After the incident, the Greek government spokesperson, Dimitris Tsiodras, condemned the assault while an arrest warrant was issued for Kasidiaris.  Neither Kasidiaris nor his party, however, accepted blame for his actions.  Golden Dawn referred to the assault as a “truly unfortunate moment” and maintained that it was provoked.  Kasidiaris has taken a step further and threatened to sue both the victims.

“What is a man if he can hit a 58-year-old elected woman in this country? He has damaged this country more than any old commie,” said one of the two women attacked by Kasidiaris, Liana Kanelli, using a term that the Golden Dawn spokesperson had insulted her with.

Rena Dourou, the other woman assaulted by Kasidiaris, said that the attack revealed the true nature of Greece’s Golden Dawn movement.

“What we saw [on television] is something that happens almost every night in some dark places here in the centre of Athens against women or immigrants but they don’t have the rights, the privileges, to condemn all this in front of cameras,” Dourou said in an interview with the Guardian.  Dourou added that on the same day as the assault, members of Golden Dawn injured 15 students and 3 immigrants at a Greek university campus.

The language and strategy that Golden Dawn employs have been criticized as paralleling the methods of Nazism.  The party’s campaign slogan reads boldly as “Let’s rid this country of the stench,” conveying its strong desire of expelling Greece’s immigrants.  Another criticism is directed at the party’s emblem, which eerily resembles the swastika.

Although the party denied all allegations of violence, it has a notorious reputation of terrorizing immigrants, leftists, journalists, and women.  Several reports of violence against immigrants have emerged over the past few weeks, with the latest on the arrest of two Golden Dawn members in connection to an attack of a 31-year-old Pakistani man.

Dourou has expressed concern over Golden Dawn’s recent political success as it managed to capture 7% of the votes during Greece’s general election last month.  The party has also alarmed Europe by garnering 21 of the 300 seats in Parliament.  According to political analysts, many votes came from policemen and officers in a time when police brutality against immigrants are on the rise.

Athenians, like Maria Misaridaki, attributes the party’s success to voter ignorance, “The people voted for them because they didn’t know what Golden Dawn was. They didn’t know they’re a new form of neo-Nazis.”  The issue of voter ignorance might worsen in the near future, as the party issued a statement threatening to boycott the media if it continued with coverage unfavorable to the party.

 

For further information, please see:

The Guardian — Greek MP: TV assaults reveals true nature of far-right Golden Dawn party — 10 June 2012

Digital Journal — Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kasidiaris threatens to sue victims — 9 June 2012

Bloomberg — Greek Government Condemns Golden Dawn Assault On Politicians — 7 June 2012

Huffington Post — Ilias Kasidiaris, Greek Golden Dawn Politician, Assaults Two Female MPs On Live TV (VIDEO) — 7 June 2012

International Business Times — Golden Dawn: Greece’s Neo-Nazi Party is Europe’s ‘Dark Stain’ — 7 June 2012

Searchlight — MPs from Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn arrested over racist attack — 2 June 2012

News + Rescue — Greece: Police Brutality and Violence Against Immigrants on the Rise; African Woman Kicked — 26 May 2012

Press Release: U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Votes Unanimously in Favor of Magnitsky Bill

7 June 2012 – In a historic vote today, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, unanimously approved the “Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act” which will impose visa bans and asset freezes on the Russian officials involved in the torture and murder of 37-year old, anti-corruption lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky as well as on othergross human rights abuses in Russia.

The vote at the Committee went forward unopposed in spite of the vigorous opposition from the Russian government, the delaying tactics from the Obama administration and last-minute lobbying from major US businesses like Boeing, Caterpillar, and PepsiCo.

The ‘Magnitsky Act’ now moves to the floor of the House of Representatives to be voted on at a later date.  Speaking about today’s vote, William Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management and one of the advocates of the effectiveness of the Magnitsky sanctions, said:

“Today’s vote in the U.S. will create a solid precedent that will be followed by Europe, Canada and other countries concerned with the deterioration of human rights in Russia and where parliamentary initiatives are under way

Currently, there are 12 national parliaments including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Canadaand the Netherlands, who are considering Magnitsky sanctions. Mr Browder also said:

“The legislation will protect the Russian opposition because members of the Russian regime keep their money in the West. If they start opening fire on opposition members, that money will be frozen. This is the first of many things to create the enduring legacy that the life and death of Sergei Magnitsky deserves. In the end, when the regime changes in Russia, they will erect monuments to Sergei for his bravery and sacrifice for his country.”

Following today’s vote in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the next step in the legislative process is for the Magnitsky bill to be voted on by the members of the House of Representatives, before being voted on by the Senate and finally, to be signed into law by the U.S. President.

For further information please contact:

Hermitage Capital
Phone:             +44 207 440 17 77
E-mail:             info@lawandorderinrussia.org
Website:          http://lawandorderinrussia.org
Facebook:        http://on.fb.me/hvIuVI
Twitter:           @KatieFisher__

 

Russia Parliament Approves Peaceful Assembly Fine, Bill Awaits Putin’s Approval

By Pearl Rimon
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian parliament has approved a bill restricting the current law on public protests. The bill would increase the fines for protest participants to 300,000 rubles ($9,000), 600,000 rubles ($18,000) for organizers and peaking at one million rubles ($30,000) for legal entities. People could be fined for taking part in unsanctioned protests or for violations during sanctioned protests.

Protest after parliamentary elections. (Photo Courtesy of AP: Mikhail Metzel)

These proposed changes have moved through the upper chamber of Russian parliament, the Federation Council and the lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma with great speed and only await President Vladimir Putin’s signature in order to become law. President Putin has previously expressed his support for the bill which is backed by the United Russia party.

The bill was first introduced to the parliamentary chambers less than a month ago. The bill’s first reading occurred on May 22 and it had its third and final reading on June 5. It is believed that the fast track for the bill is due to the upcoming June 12 mass protest rally planned by opposition parties.

Despite the bill’s fast track into a law, opposition members of parliament did use delaying tactics in an attempt to postpone the vote on the bill. They forced a reading of each of the 300 amendments to the bill. During one of parliament’s sessions, 20 demonstators were detained for protesting. Demonstatrors say the proposed bill violates the 31st article of the Russian constitution, regarding the right to freely assemble.

This bill challenges the right to freedom of assembly. “Imposing large fines for violating rules on public events will have a chilling effect on peaceful assembly in Russia,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The aim seems to be to curtail demonstrations rather than to properly regulate them.”

In December 2011, Russia experienced its biggest protests since the fall of the USSR. Nearly 50,000 people gathered in Moscow to protest, due to allegations of ballot-rigging after the parliamentary elections. Close to 1,000 people were arrested following the aftermath of this protest.

For further information, please see:

BBC — Russian Parliament Backs Huge Protest Fines — 6 June 2012

Human Rights Watch — Russia: Reject Restrictions on Peaceful Assembly — 6 June 2012

Deutsche Welle — Russian Bill Targeting Protestors Hits Snag — 5 June 2012

BBC — Russian Election: Biggest Protests Since Fall of USSR — 10 December 2011

Physicians for Human Rights: Destruction of Medical Samples in Magnitsky Case is a Clear Obstruction of Justice

Press Release

6 June 2012–Physicians for Human Rights, an independent US organisation supporting victims of torture and abuse using scientific and medical analysis, released a statement revealing that Russian authorities have destroyed evidence in the Magnitsky case files which could be used to determine the true cause of his death. In particular, they pointed out that certain of Magnitsky’s tissues samples which had been taken at the time of his death and stored have now been destroyed by Russian authorities. These are the same tissues samples which Magnitsky’s family has repeatedly requested to be given access to and whose requests were repeatedly denied by the Russian State Investigative Committee.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) pointed out that the Russian government also refused Magnitsky family’s request seeking PHR’s independent investigation into Magnitsky’s death. PHR said in their statement that the destruction of samples in the Magnitsky case appears to be “a deliberate and calculated attempt to prevent justice” on the part of the Russian government.

For further information, please visit: