Letter to High Representative/VP Federica Mogherini by 51 Members of the European Parliament with regards to the case of Sergei Magnitsky and the laundering of proceeds of Russian organised crime in Europe, 12th of december 2016
Dear Mrs Mogherini,
We are writing you with regards to the case of Sergei Magnitsky and the laundering of proceeds of Russian organised crime in Europe
Sergei Magnitsky was killed in a Russian prison 2009 after he blew the whistle on a $230 million tax fraud committed by Russian government officials. All involved received complete impunity in Russia and some of the officials even received state honours. The only one convicted was Sergei Magnitsky himself, following the first posthumous prosecution in Russian history.
Since 2010, the European Parliament has issued three Resolutions and two Recommendations calling for targeted visa bans and asset freezes against those involved in Magnitsky’s persecution. The most recent Recommendation to the Council of 2 April 2014 (2014/2016(INI)) definitively listed 32 people to be sanctioned for their role in the Magnitsky case and the subsequent cover-up. Thus far, all requests has been explicitly ignored.
In November 2014, 23 Members of the European Parliament wrote you asking what steps you intended to take in order to implement the Recommendation to the Council of April 2, 2016. You then responded by stating that you would not act on the Recommendation, but that you would use other European instruments to improve the human rights situation in Russia. You reassured that you would “pay continuous attention” to the issues of human rights, justice, and the rule of law in Russia, including the case of Sergei Magnitsky.
Since we received your letter, Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was murdered outside the Kremlin in February 2015. His close associate, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was poisoned within an inch of his life in May 2015. Russia continues to commit human rights atrocities in Syria, using barrel bombs to target innocent civilians, and it is widely believed that another invasion of Ukraine is imminent.
Furthermore, it has now become clear that over $200 million of illicit proceeds from the crime uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky was laundered through Europe. There are now 10 money- laundering investigations opened by the police authorities in the European Union. At the same time, there is information that shows that the money been used to influence European politics, media and civil society to prevent consequences for Russian human rights violators. Yet worse, the crime against Sergei Magnitsky is just the tip of the iceberg. The organisation responsible for the crime, whose member should be sanctioned under the 2 April 2014 Recommendation, is linked to similar crimes worth over $1 billion.
It is clear that the strategy you outlined in your response to our letter has failed. Not only has it failed, but two of the officials listed in the Recommendation of April 2, 2014, one of whom is also sanctioned by the United States government, appeared in the European Parliament earlier this year. He attended the screening of an Anti-Magnitsky propaganda film, essentially to make a mockery of the European Parliament and its efforts to end impunity in the Magnitsky- case.
As head of the European External Action Service, we implore you to enact the will of democratically elected Members of the European Parliament and present a proposal to the Council of Ministers to sanction the individuals listed in the Recommendation to the Council of 2 April, 2014 on establishing common visa restrictions for Russian officials involved in the case of Sergei Magnitsky.
This clear and decisive course of action would send the message that Russian corruption, human rights abuse, and the proceeds of Russian crime have no place in the European Union. Anything less shows a weakness of Europe and encourages Vladimir Putin to take more provocative and destructive steps.
Yours faithfully,
Gunnar Hökmark, EPP
Petras Auštrevičius, ALDE
Ana Gomes, S&D
Anna Fotyga, ECR
Rebecca Harms, Greens
Bent Bendtsen, EPP
Brian Hayes, EPP
Christofer Fjellner, EPP
Dariusz Rosati, EPP
Herbert Reul, EPP
Inese Vaidere, EPP
Ivan Stefanec, EPP
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, EPP
Jerzy Buzek, EPP
Krišjānis Kariņš, EPP
Laima Andrikiene, EPP
Lars Adaktusson, EPP
Ludek Niedermayer, EPP
Michael Gahler, EPP
Milan Zver, EPP
Patricija Šulin, EPP
Romana Tomc, EPP
Sandra Kalniete, EPP
Siegfried Muresan, EPP
Tunne Kelam, EPP
Anders Vistisen, ECR
Andrew Lewer, ECR
Bernd Kolmel, ECR
Charles Tannock, ECR
Edward Czesak, ECR
Fox Ashley, ECR
Geoffrey Van Orden, ECR
Hans-Olaf Henkel, ECR
Jadwiga Wiśniewska, ECR
Jan Zahradil, ECR
Joachim Starbatty, ECR
Mark Demesmaeker, ECR
Monica Macovei, ECR
Roberts Zile, ECR
Ryszard Czarnecki, ECR
Tomasz Piotr Poręba, ECR
Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, ECR
Jasenko Selimovic, ALDE
Nathalie Griesbeck, ALDE
Pavel Telička, ALDE
Maria Heubuch, Greens
Eva Joly, Greens
Bronis Rope, Greens
Helga Trüpel, Greens
Indrek Tarand, Greens
Keith Taylor, Greens