On July 8, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution calling on all OSCE member states to impose visa sanctions and asset freezes on people who are responsible for the false arrest, torture and murder of Sergei Magnitsky, and the corruption he had uncovered.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly brought together 320 members of
parliament from 56 OSCE countries to discuss human rights, conflict
prevention and promotion of democracy throughout OSCE countries. The
resolution was approved by an overwhelming majority. Only 18 deputies
voted against it and 11 abstained.
The OSCE PA resolution entitled “Rule of Law in Russia: Case of Sergei Magnitsky” says:
“The
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly supports the legislative initiatives on the
Magnitsky case in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
and in the national parliaments of the US, UK, Canada, Netherlands,
Poland, Italy, Sweden, Germany, France, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech
Republic, Spain, Portugal and Georgia, as well as and the resolutions of
the European Parliament.”
“The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly calls
on national parliaments to take action to impose visa sanctions and
freezes on persons responsible for the false arrest, torture, denial of
medical care and death of Sergei Magnitsky, for the conspiracy to
defraud the Russian Federation of taxes on corporate profits through
fraudulent transactions and lawsuit against legitimate businesses; to
take action against those officials who participated in the cover-up of
all the above mentioned crimes and for other gross violations of human
rights in the Russian Federation,” says the resolution.
In the
resolution, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly stated that the harassment
and torture of Sergei Magnitsky in custody was and remains politically
motivated. The OSCE resolution expressed “regret” that the Russian
authorities exonerated officials involved and deplored the posthumous
prosecution launched against Magnitsky by the Russian government.
At the discussion of the resolution,
U.S. Senator John McCain addressed the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly calling upon
OSCE assembly to speak with one voice and express their support for Sergei
Magnitsky’s ideals of justice and human freedom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YncIqP7IWZg).
“Let
us align this Assembly to the aspirations of the Russian people and for
Sergei’s aspirations for justice, for equal dignity under the law, and for the
indomitable spirit of human freedom,” said U.S. senator John McCain.
“The
resolution represents the future that most Russian want for themselves and
their country,” said U.S. senator McCain.
“I believe
that supporting the rule of law is pro-Russia, defending the innocent and
punishing the guilty is pro Russia, and ultimately I believe that the virtues
that Sergei Magnitsky embodied – integrity, fair dealing, fidelity to truth and
justice, and the deepest love of the country, is pro Russia,” added
senator McCain.
Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year old
Russian lawyer who was investigating the serial thefts from the Russian
treasury, was falsely arrested by the same police officers he had accused,
tortured and killed in police custody two and a half years ago. His killers
have not been brought to justice in Russia.
“The Magnitsky Files,” a 18-minute
movie premiered in Washington by U.S. Senator John McCain and Freedom House’
David Kramer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL9b5LP4Ubc), shows
close links between Russian government officials and persons involved in the
thefts.
