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Boris Nemtsov: Europe should adopt Magnitsky Act

Ostatnia aktualizacja: 21.07.2013 13:00
“The European Union countries should adopt Magnitsky Act. This would help democracy in Russia,” says Boris Nemtsov, in the interview with Polskie Radio. Russian opposition leader revealed as well that the U.S. Magnitsky list will be expanded this year.
Audio
  • Boris Nemtsov on the Moscow elections: if Alexei Navalny gains big support, Putin will be afraid to put him in prison (PolskieRadio.pl)
  • Boris Nemtsov: Putin fell into hysterics because of the Magnitsky Law; the EU should adopt the Magnitsky Law as well (PolskieRadio.pl)
  • Boris Nemtsov on repressions in Russia (PolskieRadio.pl)
  • Boris Nemtsov: the US Magnitsky list will be expanded (PolskieRadio.pl)
  • Boris Nemtsov on Navalny`s trial (Polskie Radio.pl)
Borys Niemcow
Borys NiemcowFoto: Wikimedia Foundation/Lena Lebedeva-Hooft/CC-BY 3.0 SA

If I am asked how to help democracy in Russia, I answer: adopt Magnitsky Act”, says Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Russian opposition Republican Party of Russia-Parnas.
Boris Nemtsov revealed that the U.S. Magnitsky list will be expanded later this year, till December. He expressed regret that the bill, imposing sanctions on the officials responsible for repressions in Russia, was adopted only in the United States.
Oppositionist is convinced that the Magnitsky law, that is assuming visa bans and assets freeze for  human rights abusers in Russia, would have a great impact on the Russian president Vladimir Putin. Nemtsov notes that it would be the blow to the Putin’s entourage and that Putin's people expect Russian president to defend their interests.

Nemtsov mentioned the European Parliament resolution from June 2013, calling for the adoption of the Magnitsky Act by the European Commission. Also in June, a group of MEPs called to block Putin's efforts to obtains the visa-free travel to Europe for 15,000 Kremlin officials – they members of the European Parliament stated that the EU should adopt the Magnitsky Act first. Russian oppositionist welcomes the initiatives.

Russian oppositionist says that the growing repression in Russia (trial of Alexei Navalny, trials against protesters of Bolotna Square, restrictive law etc.) is the result of the Putin ratings decline. He noted that Putin learns how to act from Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenka, and the Russian president is copying many of Lukashenka's actions against political opponents.
Boris Nemtsov was asked by journalists if the opposition, in case they came to power, will hold on to the Putin’s idea of reintegrating the old Russian empire. Nemtsov told that it would be not his case.

Read the interview with Boris Nemtsov:

PolskieRadio.pl: What can be said about the trial of Alexei Navalny, concerning the Kirovles company?
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Russian opposition Republican Party of Russia-Parnas: The case is fabricated, from the beginning to the end. Putin and his entourage are afraid of Alexei Navalny, they are afraid of opposition. Putin's aim is to remain in power. That's why he fabricates cases and tries to eliminate his opponents. This is typical political repression, a very well known in Lukashenka’s Belarus, in Russia at the time of Joseph Stalin and Leonid Brezhnev. Nothing wiser has been invented in Russia so far. They imprison those who are uncomfortable and those, with whom they disagree.
Why repressions are getting stronger just now?
The repression began after Putin had came to power for a third term in May 2012. Putin quickly loses public support. He believes that in order to stay in power, he has to destroy the opposition. It's impossible of course.
On a side note, the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenka, did not put his opponents to prison just after he came to power. He started imprisoning them only when the real level of support for him began to fall. There is a rule: when the authoritarian leader gains strong support, he does not put opponents in prison, and when support is falling, he puts them in jail.

Putin is a student of Lukashenka. What had been done in Belarus 5-7 years ago, now we have in Russia, e.g. show trials. After the so-called presidential elections in Belarus in 2010, Lukashenka put behind bars hundreds of people. Putin is now doing the same thing with the participants of demonstrations at the Bołotna square (it was a huge protest against rigged elections after Putin's inauguration in May 2012, ed.) Just like Lukashenka, Putin uses the charges of mass riots, forces judges to issue unfair rulings, forces the police to make false confessions.
Even the propaganda is the same: it is stated that all those actions against Putin were organized by the Western special services. The impression is that Putin is watching what Lukashenka is doing, and all that filth, lies and slander is being transferred to Russia. It's terrible.

Isn’t Putin afraid of the reaction of the West?
He was in great fear and fell into hysterics because of the US Magnitsky Act. This law imposes travel sanctions on thieves, murderers and corrupt officials from Russia. Since Putin's main mission is to protect those thieves and murderers, the Magnitsky Act is a serious blow to all that system and to Putin’s personal power.
Therefore, if the Europe adopted the Magnitsky Act in response to repressions in Russia, it would be great. It would be very effective and it could really affect the situation in Russia. If they ask me, "How we can help democracy in Russia", I ask them "Will youd adopt the Magnitsky Act"? Do not be afraid. Why not pass it in Poland, Germany, in the United Kingdom. The Magnitsky Act has been passed in the U.S and nowhere else.
The Magnitsky list is not too short?
The Magnitsky Act is good. The Magnitsky list is short. It needs to be expanded.
Who should be on the list?
There are 18 people already. They should add those responsible for repressions, members of the Investigative Committee, judges that put in jail for nothing. We have lists of those people. Human rights defenders gave them to the U.S. Congress and to the Senate. By the way, there is a good news now - till December the Magnitsky list will be expanded!
Is it probable that the Magnitsky law will be adopted in Europe?
I'd love it to be adopted. I know that the European Parliament made an important declaration. It says that the the EU may introduce visa-free movement for Russian officials, only if European countries adopt the Magnitsky Act (Russia calls for visa-free travel to the EU for 15,000 of Kremlin officials ed.). This led Putin to hysteria. It seems to me that the EP attitude is correct. Parliament has the power to ratify the agreement on visa-free travel, which means that without the consent of the Parliament the EU can not abolish visas for Russian officials.
But which country is willing now to adopt the Magnitsky Act? I do not know. Ireland wanted that, but they got scared. The issue was discussed in Ireland in May, but unfortunately the decision has not been made. I is unclear what will happen next.
And by he way, would the Polish parliament discuss Magnitsky law? My impression is that all are afraid of it. I do not understand why they are afraid. There is no reason to fear. You can not be afraid.
What is the Russia's biggest problem now, apart from Putin? Perhaps nationalism?
No. The biggest problem is that people at power do not change. Another problem is the immense power of the president. And it causes autocracy, corruption, fraud, oligarchy etc.. I think we need to limit president's powers and president's term in office to four years. There should be only two terms for a president. You need to give more power to parliament, to restore the independence of the courts, to abolish political censorship in the mass media. Because it is a huge country, you need to establish federalism. I was the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod and I normally coped with work, you do not need to manage all the huge Russia from Moscow.

You have to carry out political reforms. Its essence is to reduce the power of the president, to make possible the change of power. Russian people should came to power. I think that wealthy Russia could be pushed forward and succeed thanks to the modern political system.

Agnieszka Kamińska, portal PolskieRadio.pl

The text of the European Parliament resolution on Russia, dated 13.06.2013

Open Letter Euro MPs on visa-free travel to Russia, June  2013

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