OSCE, Warsaw: Explaining UK 'Magnitsky' Laws

Image Source: AP/Scanpix

On 12 September 2018, GD Partner, Alexandre Prezanti, gave a presentation about the UK’s ‘Magnitsky’ laws at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meetings (HDIM) in Warsaw, Poland. HDIM is Europe’s largest annual human rights conference, bringing together hundreds of government officials, international experts, civil society representatives and human rights activists to take stock of how states are implementing their commitments to core values that promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Prezanti spoke at an event on the latest developments in so-called Magnitsky legislation around the world, alongside the International Partnership for Human Rights and Human Rights First. Magnitsky legislation is a name given to laws that empower national authorities to impose financial and immigration sanctions on human rights abusers and corrupt officials. These laws are named after Sergey Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was tortured and killed in a Russian prison after uncovering a $230 million tax fraud by Russian Interior Ministry officials. Prezanti spoke about recent legislative changes in the UK brought in by the Criminal Finances Act 2017 and the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act 2018.

For more information about changes brought in by the Criminal Finances Act 2017, please see a 5-part FCPA blog series by GD’s Rogers and Todorov – HERE