Global Magnitsky Human Rights & Anti-Corruption Bill Approved by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

July 1, 2014

30 June 2014 – In a land­mark vote, the U.S. Sen­ate For­eign Rela­tions Com­mit­tee has approved a new Glob­al Mag­nit­sky Bill (S. 1933) which builds on the suc­cess of Rus­sia-focused Mag­nit­sky leg­is­la­tion by impos­ing tar­get­ed sanc­tions on cor­rupt offi­cials and human rights oppres­sors around the world.

“The new Glob­al Mag­nit­sky Human Rights & Anti-Cor­rup­tion bill is a his­toric piece of leg­is­la­tion designed to deter and cre­ate con­se­quences for those who are respon­si­ble for cor­rup­tion and human rights vio­la­tions around the world today. Mag­nit­sky sanc­tions are the new tech­nol­o­gy for fight­ing human rights abuse in the 21^st cen­tu­ry,” said William Brow­der, leader of the glob­al Mag­nit­sky jus­tice movement.

The new Glob­al Mag­nit­sky bill expands the author­i­ty of the U.S. Pres­i­dent to impose tar­get­ed sanc­tions on for­eign per­sons involved in cor­rup­tion and gross vio­la­tions. The Glob­al Mag­nit­sky sanc­tions include visa ban and asset freezes on indi­vid­ual human rights abusers any­where in the world.

In 2012, the U.S. Con­gress adopt­ed the Rus­sia-focused Mag­nit­sky Act which impos­es such tar­get­ed sanc­tions on indi­vid­u­als who were involved in the tor­ture and killing of Russ­ian anti-cor­rup­tion lawyer Sergei Mag­nit­sky, the cov­er up of these crimes, and indi­vid­u­als who are respon­si­ble for oppress­ing oth­er Russ­ian civ­il rights activists.

Since the adop­tion of the Mag­nit­sky Act, 30 per­sons have been placed on the U.S. Government’s sanc­tions list, includ­ing Russ­ian gov­ern­ment offi­cials as well as leader of the Klyuev Crime Group respon­si­ble for the theft of $230 mil­lion of Russ­ian pub­lic funds exposed by late Sergei Mag­nit­sky (http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20140520.aspx).

The glob­al Mag­nit­sky bill is the lat­est in a series of efforts by the US and Europe to build on the Mag­nit­sky Act and end impuni­ty for human rights abusers and cor­rupt offi­cials around the world.

Fol­low­ing the vote in the Sen­ate For­eign Rela­tions Com­mit­tee, the next step in the leg­isla­tive process is for the Glob­al Mag­nit­sky bill to be vot­ed on the Sen­ate floor.

See details on the Glob­al Mag­nit­sky bill:

https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113^th-congress/senate-bill/1933

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