BRIEFING NR: 2 ISBN 91-7566-878-9 · Februari 2012
BRIEFING: Brott och straff i Ryssland: Fallet Magnitskij AV WILLIAM BROWDER INLEDNING AV MATS JOHANSSON
INLEDNING: korruption, bland annat inom den presidentvalet den 4 mars. Vilket Sergej Magnitskij var en av Ryss- statliga energijätten Gazprom. 2006 väcker frågan om på vilka villkor lands ledande affärsjurister fram till sin svartlistades Browder av den ryska re- utländska företag kan göra affärer i död 2009, 37 år gammal. Då mörda- geringen, klassad som ett hot mot den Ryssland. Det avslöjar hur brott och des han under en sjukhusvistelse på nationella säkerheten, och utvisades. straff hanteras i en rövarstat som allt grund av sitt försvar för lag och rätt Nu står han medåtalad i processen tydligare visar sitt förakt för spelregler i processen mot funktionärer som mot den döde Magnitskij. i mellanstatliga och internationella stulit företag tillhöriga det utländska Bifogad dokumentation utgör under- relationer. investmentbolaget Hermitage. Ingen laget för den hearing som hölls i den Utomlands har fallet väckt starka uppsatt ansvarig har ännu straffats. amerikanska senatens utrikesutskotts reaktioner och ingår numera i under- Tvärtom har den ryska staten nyligen underkommitté för Europa den 14 visningen vid Harvard. Det är dags att vidtagit den ovanliga åtgärden att åtala december 2011 under rubriken ”The även Sverige reagerar och agerar. Så Magnitskij efter hans död. State of Human Rights and The Rule skedde nyligen när den svenska reger- Den ryska mörkläggningen ska inte of Law in Russia”. ingen tillsammans med den brittiska ske i tysthet. Fallet behandlas nu i den Innehållet tecknar bilden av en stat tog upp fallet i Europarådets minis- amerikanska senaten på initiativ av som saknar grundläggande skydd för terkommitté med krav på en effektiv den demokratiske senatorn Ben Car- individen. Makt utövas inte under brottsutredning. Svaret lär dröja. din. I Europarådet, EU-parlamentet lagen utan under makthavarnas Frivärld följer ärendet som ett led i och en rad nationella parlament väcks godtycke. Egenintresset är styrande ett av våra tre programområden, ägnat förslag i syfte att införa sanktioner princip. systemstriden på globalnivå. Detta ut- mot gärningsmännen. Bevisningen är kompakt, skuldbör- förliga underlag presenterades i sam- En drivande kraft är affärsmannen dan har erkänts av presidentens MR- band med ett Sverigebesök av William William Browder, sonson till det ame- råd och brottslingarna är namngivna. Browder den 21-22 februari 2012 vid rikanska kommunistpartiets grundare, Men brottslingarna frias och belönas. ett anförande i Sveriges riksdag. numera bosatt i London. Som chef Fallet Magnitskij illustrerar med för Hermitage fick han insyn i många tydlighet förfallet under Putins långa Mats Johansson ryska bolag och uppmärksammade vid tid vid makten. Det lär ytterligare Styrelseordförande Frivärld millennieskiftet flera fall av allvarlig förlängas med det redan avgjorda
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1. The crimes committed by Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2011. law firm, Firestone Duncan, as head the Russian Government http://articles.latimes.com/2011/ of its tax law practice. He discovered against Sergei Magnitsky jul/06/world/la-fgrussia-lawy- a $230 million corruption scheme are irrefutable er-20110706 perpetrated in December 2007, by a group of senior officials in the Russian Sergei Magnitsky died in Russian ‘Human Rights Council Publishes police and Tax Ministry along with state custody on November 16, 2009 Expert Analysis of the Magnitsky exconvicts. after being detained for 358 days wit- Case’, by ITARTASS. They laundered the money through hout trial by the same Russian Interior This article discusses the findings of Citigroup and JP Morgan as well Ministry officers he had accused of the report, July 7, 2011. as a number of other international committing a $230 million corruption. http://www.itartass.com/en/ banks. In July 2008, the banks agreed ‘Russian Lawyer who Alleged Police c142/181023.html to provide information showing how Corruption Dies in Prison’, by Philip An investigation by The New Times, the stolen funds had passed through Pan, Washington Post, November 18, a Russian independent magazine, ex- the US banking system in response 2009. posed the role ofthe Interior Ministry to a subpoena filed by Hermitage http://www.washingtonpost.com/ and the Federal Security Service in Mr Capital lawyers and described in Neil wpdyn/content/article/2009/11/17/ Magnitsky’s arrest. Micklethwaite’s declaration, submit- AR2009111703188.html ‘Price of Death’, by The New Times, ted to the Southern District Court of On July 5, 2011, Russian President November 30, 2009. New York. Medvedev’s Human Rights Council, http://newtimes.ru/articles/de- ‘Micklethwaite Declaration’, submit- consisting of highly regarded human tail/11454 ted to the Southern District Court rights activists, concluded that Sergei The impunity of Russian officials in of New York. This document shows Magnitsky had been falsely arrested the Magnitsky case has lead to initiati- how the stolen $230 million flowed and beaten in police custody, and that ves in the US and Europe with the through US banks, July 27, 2009 (see officials of the Russian state have aim of imposing visa and economic Chapter XIII, pages 52-54). subsequently covered up his death and sanctions on those Russian officials. http://russian-untouchables.com/ have refused to investigate any of the docs/D62.pdf allegations of corruption which landed ‘Russians Linked to Jail Death Are him in detention. Barred From US’, by Andrew Kramer, ‘Russia’s Crime of the Century,’ by The New York Times, July 26, 2011. Jamison Firestone, Foreign Policy, ‘Russian President Human Rights April 20, 2011. This article by Sergei Council Report’, July 5, 2011. The http://www.nytimes. Magnitsky’s law partner describes report names the crimes committed com/2011/07/27/world/ the corruption exposed by Sergei and the perpetrators. English transla- europe/27russia.html?_r=1 Magnitsky, the ‘inexplicable’ multi- tion available at: 2. The crimes against Sergei million dollar wealth of the families http://russian-untouchables.com/ Magnitsky have affected US of the Russian officials implicated by eng/civil-rightcouncil/ interests Mr Magnitsky, and their impunity in ‘Rights Panel Issues Early Report on Russia. Sergei Magnitsky worked for a US Russian Lawyer’s Prison Death’, by
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http://www.foreignpolicy.com/artic- ‘Top Bank Executive in Fraud Probe’, vember 3, 2010. http://cachef.ft.com/ les/2011/04/20/russia_s_crime_of_ by The Moscow Times, October 24, cms/s/0/bdae02a8-e784-11df-b5b4- the_century 2005. 00144feab49a.html#axzz1gEnXhoDs ‘US Court Allows Hermitage Sub- http://www.pressmon.com/cgi-bin/ poenas in Russia Fraud’, by Tom Hals, press_view.cgi?id=1002095 4. Officials involved have been involved in other Reuters, July 31, 2009. This article In 2006, $107 million of tax money describes how JP Morgan and Citi- human rights abuses and paid by clients of Renaissance Capital, crimes bank provided testimony and records were stolen by members of the same regarding the transfer of the stolen criminal group. The Russian judges who sanctioned $230 million. the false arrest of Sergei Magnitsky ‘Browder’s Fund Pursues Renaissance have done this multiple times in high- http://www.reuters.com/artic- Capital Link in Russia Fraud’, by Tom profile cases, including the arrest in le/2009/07/31/russia-taxfraud hermi- Cahill, Bloomberg, July 30, 2009. tageidUSN3143450520090731 December 2010 of Russian opposition http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/ne leader Boris Nemtsov and the arrest ws?pid=newsarchive&sid=aCGHf6w 3. The crime against Sergei in December 2011 of Russian anticor- qokuY Magnitsky was not an ruption activist Alexei Navalny. isolated incident Between 2006 and 2009, there were Judge Yelena Stashina, number 49 at least nine other fraudulent tax The Russian government officials on Cardin’s List, who prolonged Ser- refunds involving Russian companies and criminals who were involved have gei Magnitsky’s detention and denied perpetrated by the same Russian tax been involved in a serial criminal his petitions for medical care, was officials. Hermitage Capital lawyers activity for a number of years. Previous responsible for imprisoning opposition filed criminal complaints with the activities include: candidate Boris Nemtsov for conduc- Russian General Prosecutor’s Office ting a peaceful protest in December Stealing of Public Funds and Fraud providing details of the refunds, Octo- 2010. In 2002, Russian taxes paid by an ber 13, 2009. ‘Opposition’s Leader Arrest Le- investment company previously owned http://russianuntouchables.com/ gitimate – Court’, by Russia Today, by Soros Fund Management were docs/D59.pdf January 13, 2011 rebated. This tax rebate scheme was Kidnapping and Extortion described in a Moscow court testi- http://rt.com/politics/nemtsov- The 2006 kidnapping and false arrest mony by a former Renaissance Capital opposition-arrest-court/ of a Russian businessman, Fedor Mik- company executive, 10 August 2005. Judge Aleksey Krivoruchko, num- heev, as part of a $20 million extortion http://russian-untouchables.com/rus/ ber 47 on Cardin’s list, who rejected attempt, were orchestrated by mem- docs/D389.pdf Sergei Magnitsky’s petitions about the bers of the same criminal group, which In 2005, $1.6 billion worth of shares “horrid, unbearable” conditions and included Russian police officers. The in a Russian iron ore company, Mik- denied him medical care in pre-trial victim’s wife, Ekaterina Mikheeva, was hailovsky GOK, were targeted with detention, detained Alexei Navalny, a intimidated and threatened with rape. fraudulent transactions by members of leading anti-corruption blogger and ‘Russia: Bribery on the Beat’, by the same criminal group. political opposition activist for 15 days Charles Clover, Financial Times, No-
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for participating in a peaceful de- allegations-against-person-from- money in the scheme exposed by monstration against election fraud in magnitsky-list/ Sergei Magnitsky, was shown to also December 2011. Nellie Dmitrieva, number 13 on have paid for the chartering of a plane ‘Moscow Court Upholds Arrest Cardin’s list. An officer of the Russian carrying weapons from North Korea of Another Opposition Activist’, by Interior Ministry, she was arrested to Iran, that was detained in Bangkok ITAR-TASS, December 7, 2011. earlier this year for her role in extor- airport in 2009. http://www.itar-tass.com/en/ ting a $3 million bribe in a medical ‘Inside the Shell: Drugs, Arms and c32/291928.html equipment smuggling case, October 5, Tax Scams’, by the Center for Public 2011. Integrity, June 28, 2011. The Interior Ministry officials invol- ved in the false arrest, ill-treatment http://lenta.ru/news/2011/10/05/ http://www.iwatchnews. and death of Sergei Magnitsky have nelly/ org/2011/06/28/5027/inside-shell- also been named for their involvement The Tax Ministry officials involved in drugs-armsand-tax-scams in other crimes. the fraudulent tax rebates uncovered ‘Double Life Among The Shells’, by Artem Kuznetsov, number 15 on by Sergei Magnitsky have also been Gerard Ryle, The Canberra Times, Cardin’s list. An officer of the Russian named for their involvement in other May 14, 2011. Interior Ministry, he was named in the crimes. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ kidnapping and extortion of business- Olga Stepanova, number 38 on news/world/world/general/double- man Fedor Mikheev in 2006. Cardin’s list. An official of the Rus- lifeamong-the-shells/2163116.aspx Pavel Karpov, number 21 on sian tax ministry, she was named in a Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel criminal case for authorizing illegal Cardin’s list. An officer of the Rus- The Organised Crime and Corrup- VAT refunds in 2010. sian Interior Ministry, he was named, tion Reporting Project (OCCRP), a together with Artem Kuznetsov, in the ‘Magnitsky Link in Tax Office consortium of investigative journalists, kidnapping and extortion of business- Raids’, by The Moscow Times, April have exposed the high level links man Fedor Mikheev in 2006. 7, 2011 between drug cartels and the people http://cachef.ft.com/cms/s/0/ http://www.themoscowtimes.com/ involved in the Magnitsky case. bdae02a8-e784-11df-b5b4-00144fea- news/article/magnitsky-link-in-tax- ‘Global Criminal Money Laundering b49a.html#axzz1gFsb9TxB officeraids/434635.html Network Uncovered’, by the Bureau Natalya Vinogradova, number 6 on 5. People involved in the of Investigative Journalism, November Cardin’s list. An officer of the Rus- Magnitsky case have links 23, 2011. sian Interior Ministry, she was named with organised crime http://www.thebureauinvestigates. for taking a bribe of $40,000 in a com/2011/11/23/bureau-recommen- complaint filed by the Russian Anti- The same syndicate involved in the ds-globalcriminal-money-laundering- Corruption Committee and reported Magnitsky case have links to organi- network-uncovered/ by Interfax, July 21, 2011. sed crime drug cartels and terrorism http://www.interfax.co.uk/russia-cis- around the world. general-news-bulletins-in-english/ Arms Trafficking nac-demandscheck-into-bribery- The syndicate which laundered
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6. Governments, parliaments and repression of Sergei Magnitsky getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7- and international organisa- while still alive seeking his release. TA-2010-0489&language=EN tions around the world are ‘Russia: Concerning Incidents Invol- World-Check taking decisive action in the ving Lawyers’, by the International Bar In November 2010, World-Check, Magnitsky case Association, June 8, 2009. http://rus- a leading international risk analysis Council of Europe sian-untouchables.com/docs/D103- company used by 49 out of 50 major 2009-06-08-Letter-to-Medvedev.pdf In 2009, the Special Rapporteur of international banks to screen potential the Council of Europe documented United Nations clients, published Cardin’s list on their the false arrest and ill-treatment in In January 2011, the UN Special website and called on members not to detention of Sergei Magnitsky while Rapporteurs on Torture, Extra Judicial accept money or bank accounts from still alive and sought his release. Killings and Human Rights Defen- the Russian officials on Cardin’s list. ‘Allegations of Politically Motivated ders sought answers from the Russian ‘Are You Banking Any of the 60 Abuses of the Criminal Justice System government in the Magnitsky case. Russians That the EU Wants to San- in Council of Europe Member States’, ‘U.N. Appointed Human Rights ction?’, by World-Check, November August 7, 2009 (see Section “Defence Experts to Probe Death of Russian 29, 2010. Lawyers – A High-risk Profession?”, lawyer Magnitsky’, by Washington http://www.world-check.com/ pages 27-28). Post, January 20, 2011. insights-from-adifferent-angle/are- http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/ you-banking-any-60-russians-eu- WorkingDocs/doc09/edoc11993.pdf world/un-appointed-human-rights- wants-sanction In October 2011, representatives experts-to-probedeath-of-russian- Swiss General Prosecutor from 29 states at the Parliamentary lawyer-magnitsky/2011/01/20/ In March 2011, the Swiss General Assembly of the Council of Europe, ABL6TOR_story.html Prosecutor froze $11million belonging signed a Written Declaration calling European Parliament to the husband of the senior Rus- on the Russian government to cease In December 2010, one year after sian tax official Olga Stepanova who intimidation of the Magnitsky family, Magnitsky’s death in Russian state approved most of the $230 million to allow an independent medical exa- custody, the European Parliament refund exposed by Sergei Magnitsky. mination and to prosecute his killers. passed a resolution calling for visa and ‘After Swiss Freeze Millions, Stepa- ‘The Sergei Magnitsky case: Written economic sanctions where a of lack nov Swings Back’, by Bill Alpert, May Declaration No 49’, October 4, 2011. of progress with the official Russian 31, 2011. http://assembly.coe.int/Main. investigation of Magnitsky’s death was http://online.barrons.com/article/SB asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/ shown. 5000142405311190421070457635742 Doc11/EDOC12744.htm ‘European Parliament Resolution on 2636443958.html International Bar Association the Annual Report on Human Rights Dutch Parliament in the World 2009 and the European In June 2009, the International Bar In July 2011, the Dutch Parlia- Union’s Policy on the Matter’, Decem- Association addressed Russian Presi- ment unanimously voted for visa and ber 16, 2010 (see paragraph No 120). dent Medvedev about the false arrest economic sanctions to be imposed on http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/
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the Russian officials in the Magnitsky wed that 44% of Russian respondents US Congress to pass the Magnitsky case. supported it, with only 3% strongly Act and impose visa sanctions in order ‘Netherlands Bans Magnitsky Offici- opposed to it. to help fight corruption in Russia. als’, by Moscow News, July 4, 2011. ‘Two Russias React to US Visa San- http://demruscom.com/zakon-imeni- sergeya-magnitskogo/ http://themoscownews.com/socie- ctions Bill’, by Vladimir Kara-Murza, ty/20110704/188808142.html World Affairs Journal, October 26, 2011 Election Campaign 2011. Canadian Parliament The Magnitsky case was seen as http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/ symbolic of the endemic corruption, In October 2011, Irwin Cotler, for- blog/vladimir-kara-murza/two-russi- injustice and the impunity during the mer Minister of Justice and Attorney as-react-usvisa-sanctions-bill Russian 2011 parliamentary elections General of Canada, who previously campaign. served as international legal counsel Human Rights Activists to Russian political prisoners and In September 2010 and September ‘Russians Tire of Corruption dissidents, introduced draft legislation 2011, leading Russian human rights Spectacle’, by Daniel Sandford, BBC, to the Canadian Parliament imposing and civil society activists called on December 1, 2011. visa and economic sanctions on Rus- the US Senate to impose sanctions http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- sian officials in the Magnitsky case. on the Russian officials on Cardin’s europe-15972326 ‘Irwin Cotler Introduces Legislation list citing their impunity at home. ‘Russia’s Rebellious Mood, Russians to Condemn Corruption and Impuni- The signatories to the letter include Have Tended to Shake Their Heads, ty in Russia in the Case and Death of Ludmila Alexeeva, chair of the Mos- Not Their Fists, At Injustices. Putin’s Sergei Magnitsky’, October 31, 2011. cow Helsinki Group, Russia’s oldest Brazenness Is Changing That’, by independent human rights group, and http://irwincotler.liberal.ca/ Therese Raphael, Wall Street Journal, Lev Ponomarev, chair of All-Russia uncategorized/cotler-introduces- December 8, 2011. Movement for Human Rights. legisltaion-to-condemncorruption- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100 and-impunity-in-russia-in-the-case- Letter from Russian Human Rights 0142405297020350130457708456410 and-death-of-sergei-magnitsky/ Activists addressed to US and EU 1185868.html?mod=googlenews_wsj leaders, September 13, 2010. 7. Sanctions against corrupt http://www.mhg.ru/news/F75C4C2 8. Magnitsky is honored by Russian officials are widely anti-corruption groups, edu- supported across the board Letter from Russian Human Rights cational and cultural leaders in Russia Activists addressed to John Kerry, Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Transparency International Levada Center Committee, September 16, 2011. In November 2010, Sergei Mag- In August 2011, the Russian polling http://www.alexeypichugin.com/in- nitsky was recognized by an interna- agency, Levada Center, conducted a dex.php?id=566 tional anti-corruption organisation, survey of attitudes of Russian citizens Online Petition Transparency International, with their to the US and EU visa ban initiative prestigious global ‘Integrity Award’, Hundreds of US-Russians have sig- against the Russian government offi- awarded to him posthumously. ned an online petition calling on the cials on Cardin’s List. The results sho- http://www.transparency.org/
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news_room/award/integrity_awards/ In November 2011, on the second On the first anniversary of Sergei integrity_award_winners/win- anniversary of his death, a permanent Magnitsky’s death in November 2010, ners_2009_2010 exhibition dedicated to Sergei Mag- five of the police officials implicated Theatre Production nitsky was unveiled at the museum of in the Magnitsky case were awarded Soviet repression located at the former with state honors on National Police ‘One Hour And Eighteen Minutes’, East-West border in Berlin, Germany. Day. Three of them were subsequently a documentary play about the last The Checkpoint Charlie Museum promoted. minutes of Sergei Magnitsky’s life, was honoured Magnitsy’s martyrdom in created by the Russian ‘Theatre.Doc’ ‘Awards, but No Charges, in Russia the fight against impunity and corrup- based on Magnitsky’s diaries from pre- Jail-Death Probe’, by Gregory White, tion in Russia. The opening ceremony trial detention. It has been performed Wall Street Journal, November 11, was attended by the German Justice across Russia, the US, the UK, Poland, 2010. Minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnar- Finland, and Bulgaria by different http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100 renberger, and Sergei Magnitsky’s theatre groups in each country. 0142405274870480450457560652351 mother, Natalia Magnitskaya. Documentary Film 0709334.html http://intransit.blogs.nytimes. “Justice for Sergei”, a documentary The Interior Ministry rejected as com/2011/11/28/berlin-exhibit-explo- film produced by Dutch documentary ‘irrelevant’ the findings of President res-magnitskycase/ film makers, ICU Documentaries, Medvedev’s Human Rights Council about Sergei Magnitsky’s tragic story 9. Is there a real investiga- into the false arrest, torture and death was presented on television stations tion going on in Russia? in custody of Sergei Magnitsky. and film festivals all over Europe, as ‘Russia Dashes EU Hopes in High- Two years since Sergei Magnitsky’s well as in six parliaments including profile Murder Probe’, by Andrew death in custody, the official Russian four in Europe, in Canada and the Rettman, EU Observer, August 2, investigation is still ongoing and there United States. It won the award for 2011. have been no real signs of progress. So the best human rights documentary http://euobserver.com/24/32676 far, 58 out of the 60 Russian govern- at the Kiev film festival and is being ment officials on Cardin’s list have The Russian Interior Ministry re- shown at cinemas across Russian ci- been exonerated. All the while, the opens the case against Sergei Mag- ties. http://www.justiceforsergei.com/ Russian investigators maintain that nitsky 20 months after his death and Harvard Business School they are carrying out a full and proper pursues his mother for questioning as In October 2011, Harvard Business investigation. The two charged were a witness. School began teaching students about low level prison doctors and they were http://rt.com/politics/magnitsky- the Hermitage Capital/Magnitsky charged with ‘negligence’. mother-case-investigation-901/ case as one of its class case studies on ‘Sergei Magnitsky: Russia Charges ‘Lawyer’s Mother Takes on Russian international business and globaliza- Two Doctors’, by BBC, August 12, Officials’, by Kathy Lally, Washington tion. 2011. Post, September 25, 2011. http://www.time.com/time/world/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- http://www.washingtonpost.com/ article/0,8599,2100298,00.html europe-14509630 world/europe/lawyers-mothertakes- Checkpoint Charlie Museum on-russian-officials/2011/09/24/
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gIQAzDHrwK_story.html would send a clear message to Russian already has the authority to impose ‘Sergei Magnitsky’s Mother Vows to Prime Minister Putin and his United these sanctions and has been studying Fight for Justice in Russia’, by Miriam Russia party that those guilty of hu- the Magnitsky case. It should act Elder, Guardian, November 23, 2011. man rights abuses will not be able to against those persons it finds culpable.” travel to the United States or protect http://www.guardian.co.uk/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/ their corrupt gains in our financial world/2011/nov/23/sergeimagnitsky- opinions/seeking-russianjustice/ institutions.” mother-justice-russia 2011/04/19/AFlpwyKE_story.html http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/ The Moscow Times: “Swapping 10. Prominent editorials content/russia-working-group- Jackson Vanik for Magnitsky”, Vladi- have been written about the statementrussia%E2%80%99s-decem- mir Ryzkhov, May 24, 2011. case endorsing the ber-4-duma-elections Magnitsky Act “Whether it comes through a new Foreign Policy: “Adding Insult to US law, the OSCE or the Council of Henry Jackson Society, Michael Murder”, David Kramer, November Europe, corrupt Russian officials are Weiss & Julia Pettengill, 6 October 15, 2010. being served notice that the world is 2011. “Some supporters of the Obama becoming less inclined to close its eyes “If passed, the Sergei Magnitsky administration’s ”reset policy” with to criminal activity in Russia. The rug Rule of Law Accountability Act would Russia, both in and out of the U.S. is being pulled out from under their represent a cataclysmic shift in U.S. government, object to the proposed feet both in Russia and Abroad.” human rights policy.” legislation because they worry that it http://www.themoscowtimes.com/ will damage bilateral relations. Law- http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/ opinion/article/swapping-jackson- lessness in Russia has been rampant stories.asp?pageid=49&id=1829 vanik-formagnitsky/ under Medvedev and Prime Minister Freedom House, David Kramer & 437330.html Vladimir Putin. Obama’s ”reset policy” Robert Kagan, 11 October 2011. The Washington Post: “Accountabi- shouldn’t distract from the fact that lity for Sergei Magnitsky’s Killers”, by “This draft bill has already done we can do something about it even if Senator Cardin, August 9, 2011. more for the cause of human rights Russia’s leaders won’t.” in Russia than anything done by the “This bipartisan effort sends the http://www.foreignpolicy.com/artic- Obama administration (or by the unambiguous warning that even if les/2010/11/15/adding_insult_to_mu Bush administration before it).” your home country looks the other rder?print=yes&hidecomments=yes& way as you violate human rights and http://www.freedomhouse.org/temp- page=full late.cfm?page=72&release=1507 trample the rule of law, the United The Washington Post: “Seeking States will not stand by as an unwit- Foreign Policy Initiative, Russia Russian Justice”, Editorial, April 22, ting accomplice in your crimes. The Working Group, 7 December 2011. 2011. legislation provides moral support to “The passage of the bi-partisan Ser- “While outside powers cannot those who suffer or risk their safety to gei Magnitsky Act, a bill that proposes change this culture, legislation before fight for justice.” to ban Russian human rights viola- Congress could provide some leverage. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ tors from entering the United States, The Obama administration, of course, opinions/accountability-for-sergei-
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magnitskyskillers/2011/08/05/ Viktor Bout and a convicted cocaine case is that it appears that the entire gIQA4XeI3I_story.html smuggler. So Moscow is comparing Russian state is in some sense involved CNN: “Why Russia Is Blacklisting the prosecution of notorious arms and in corruption and crime.” Americans”, by Fareed Zakaria, No- drug smugglers with the prosecution http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn. vember 27, 2011. and murder of an honest lawyer, in a com/2011/11/27/zakaria-why-russia- case that even President Medvedev “US action over the Magnitsky isblacklisting-americans-2/ has said required investigation. The case has exposed a raw nerve among underlying issue here is that for all the Moscow’s elite. You can see it in the glitter of having being named a BRIC Kremlin’s response. It retaliated by - one of the hot emerging markets blacklisting US officials, but it also – Russia remains a country where cor- indicated it was targeting Americans ruption is rampant…In fact, the most involved in the prosecutions of two disturbing aspect of the Magnitsky Russian criminals - the arms dealer-
FÖRFATTAREN: William Browder är affärsman och medgrundare av Hermitage Capital Management som var ett av de främsta utländska investmentbolagen i Ryssland. Mellan 1998 och 2000 uppmärksammade Hermitage flera fall av allvarlig korruption inom Gazprom. 2006 svartlistades Browder av den ryska regeringen och blev klassad som ett hot mot den nationella säkerheten.
Detta är Frivärlds andra briefingutgåva under 2012.
Tidigare utgivna rapporter och briefings är: ”Lärdomar av den baltiska finanskrisen, 2007 – 2010”, Anders Åslund, juni 2011 ”Mot oddsen och oligarkerna”, Pauls Raudseps, september 2011 ”Utvecklingen efter arabiska våren – från kleptokrati till kapitalism?”, Susanne Tarkowski, september 2011 ”Svensk militär solidaritet kring Östersjön: Tre scenarier”, Karlis Neretnieks, oktober 2011 ”Europarådet – Reformering eller marginalisering”, Göran Lindblad, december 2011 ”Presidentvalet i USA: Isolationism på marsch?”, Anders Edwardsson, januari 2012 “Yttrandefrihet och demokrati på tillbakagång i Europa”, Birgitta Ohlsson, februari 2012
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