Ottawa - Today. the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade tabled its report, Taking Action Against Human Rights Violators in Russia. The report is based on testimony the committee received on 10 March 2016 from three high-profile advocates for democracy in Russia: William Browder, Head of the International Justice Campaign for Sergei Magnitsky and author of the book Red Notice; Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of the late Boris Nemtsov; and Vladimir Kara-Murza, Coordinator, Open Russia and Deputy Leader of the People’s Freedom Party.

In its report, the committee highlighted the failure of Russian authorities to investigate and to bring to justice those individuals implicated in the deaths of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax lawyer who died in 2009 in a Russian prison after being denied medical care and Boris Nemtsov, a prominent opposition leader who was shot dead in February 2015 as well as the intimidation and suspected poisoning of Mr. Kara-Murza.

The committee through its report confirms the ongoing validity and increased urgency of the motion adopted by the Senate in May 2015 on the issue of human rights and rule of law concerns in Russia. It reiterated its call for the Government of Canada to take action against human rights violators in Russia, including the imposition of sanctions.

Quick Facts

• Mr. Nemtsov was shot dead just before he was scheduled to lead a large anti-government march.
• Mr. Browder has been campaigning in the European Union (EU) and in countries such as the United States and Canada for legislation that would impose sanctions against key Russian state officials implicated in Mr. Magnitsky’s death.
• The United States passed a law in 2012 that imposes visa bans on persons responsible for Mr. Magnitsky’s death or who benefitted financially from his case.
• The European Parliament passed a resolution in 2014 calling on the Council of Ministers of the European Union to establish a list of officials responsible for the death of Mr. Magnitsky; these individuals would be subject to an EU-wide visa ban and to the freezing of any of their financial assets held within the EU.
• In addition to his pro-democracy activities, Mr. Kara-Murza has been involved in the Magnitsky campaign.

Associated Links

Link to the committee homepage: click here.

For more information, please contact:

Marcy Galipeau
Committees Liaison Officer, Communications
Senate of Canada
613-944-4082
marcy.galipeau@sen.parl.ca