The OSCE takes sanctions against Russian officials

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Sunday, July 8, took the so-called "Magnitsky resolution" - a document calling on European countries to impose sanctions against Russian officials guilty of violating human rights.

    It is, in particular, the civil servants responsible for the persecution of its own whistleblowers - for example, officials responsible for the death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Magnitsky.

    The adoption of the document under the name "Legitimacy in Russia: the case of Magnitsky" supported the principal author of the resolution, the chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares, as well as a favorite opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin - U.S. Senator John McCain.

    Recall Lawyer fund Hermitage Capital Sergey Magnitsky died in prison in November 2009. His death caused a great public outcry in Russia and the West. Democratic Senator from Maryland Benjamin Cardin made the author of the bill, on which a number of Russian officials involved in the death of Magnitsky will be denied entry into the United States. In addition, officials are waiting for additional sanctions - such as freezing their bank accounts in the United States.

    The new version of the bill on the introduction in the U.S. "Magnitsky list" prepared by U.S. Senators contains the item names to classify "affected" by Russian officials. The names of the officials may be hidden from the public, in particular, if the order would require "the interests of national security," the United States.

    Many senators have said about the inadmissibility of such a step. According to supporters of the sanctions against Russian officials scrambling "Magnitsky list" can devalue its effectiveness, as it is taken to combat human rights abuses in Russia and the country should be aware of their "heroes" in the face.

    The head of Hermitage Capital, William Browder said that the amendments to the bill that would hide the names of Russian officials from the eyes of the people, were adopted on the initiative of the Obama administration, which "was from the outset against (making  "he list of Magnitsky"- annotated. RBC) and was trying not to quarrel with the Russians."

    In early July 2012 representatives of the Russian opposition, Boris Nemtsov and Garry Kasparov, the U.S. Congress have proposed to add "list Magnitsky 'names CEC Chairman Vladimir Churov, Judge Olga Borovkova, riot police, who gave false testimony in the case of disturbances in Bolotnaya Square on May 6, as well as investigators in the case of Pussy Riot .

    Introduction of the "Magnitsky list" has angered the Kremlin. Russian Foreign Ministry warned Washington of the response, and the speaker of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko said that Russia will not "swallow such an unfriendly gesture."-0--