Press Release

April 12, 2013
Cardin Calls Public Release Of Initial Magnitsky List A Historic Step
"Visiting the United States and having access to our financial system, including U.S. dollars, are privileges that should not be extended to those who violate basic human rights and the rule of law."

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Finance committees, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and author of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, made the following statement regarding the first public release of individuals held accountable for gross human rights violations under the new law.

“This first batch of names released by the administration pursuant to the Magnitsky Act is a serious and historic first step. With this concrete action we send more than just a symbolic message that gross violators of human rights in Russia, and around the world, cannot escape the consequences of their actions even when their home country fails to act.  I look forward to continuing the collaboration between Congress and the Obama Administration in implementing the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act to ensure that those who should be on this list are in fact on this list. I am pleased that the initial list includes officials who were involved at every stage of the death of Sergei Magnitsky, as well as other crimes. I am fully confident that this list, and future names that will be added, can stand up to international scrutiny.”

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