Politics

    March 16, 2016 - The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) calls on the Government of Canada to swiftly adopt a "Magnitsky Amendment" to the Special Economic Measures Act.

    The United States adopted the Magnitsky Act in 2012. Magnitsky legislation is named after the late Sergei Magnitsky,  a Russian lawyer and fraud investigator who uncovered evidence of a major theft of tax money by government officials - but was then arrested for it himself, imprisoned, tortured and left to languish for 358 days before he died in jail at age 37.

    A "Magnitsky Amendment" to the Special Economic Measures Act would allow the Government of Canada to directly target human rights abusers in Russia by instituting travel bans and asset freezes against them.

    Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov; Vladimir Kara-Murza, deputy leader of the People's Freedom Party, national coordinator of the Open Russia Movement and a long-time colleague of Boris Nemtsov; and Bill Browder, Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign and CEO of Hermitage Capital, were in Ottawa last week to testify before the Senate and House Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and International Development, urging Canada to adopt Magnitsky legislation. At least 20 Ukrainian citizens are currently illegally detained by Russia - including Nadiya Savchenko, Oleg Sentsov, Oleksander Kolchenko, Stanislav Klikh, Mykola Karpyuk, and Akhtem Chiygoz. By continuing these illegal detentions Putin's authoritarian Russian regime has consistently demonstrated its contempt for international law, and international human rights standards.

    Prior to the 2015 Federal Election, the UCC surveyed Canada's party leaders and asked about the adoption of Magnitsky legislation against Russian officials responsible for the illegal imprisonment of Ukrainian citizens; the adoption of such legislation broad cross-party support from Canada's four major parties.The Liberal Party of Canada stated, "The Liberal Party of Canada believes that, by imposing sanctions, we can impose meaningful penalties on human rights violators and deter future violations. A Liberal government will introduce legislation, modelled on US Magnitsky legislation, to impose sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the illegal imprisonment in Russia of Ukrainian citizens Nadiya Savchenko, Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko and others."

    "The swift adoption of Magnitsky legislation will allow Canada to effectively target those responsible for widespread human rights abuses in Russia, including Russian authorities who continue to illegally imprison Ukrainian citizens such as Nadiya Savchenko and many others," stated Paul Grod, National President of the UCC. "This legislation would send a strong signal to the Russian authorities that their brutal violation of basic rights and freedoms is unacceptable to Canada."

    Writing in the Globe and Mail, Mr. Kara-Murza stated, "For all the similarities between the Soviet era and present-day Russia, there is one major difference. While members of the Soviet Politburo were silencing dissent and persecuting opponents, they did not store their money, educate their children or buy real estate in the West. Many of the current officials and Kremlin-connected oligarchs do. This double standard must end. Those who trample on the most basic norms of the free world should not enjoy the privileges the free world has to offer. It is time for Canada to lead, as Mr. Nemtsov had urged. It is time to end the impunity for those who abuse the rights and plunder the resources of Russian citizens."

    For Mr. Kara-Murza's article in the Globe and Mail, please see http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/why-canada-should-act-now-against-kremlin-abusers/article29119325/