Garry Kasparov meets with U.S. senators
(Photo: Rep. James McGovern, Garry Kasparov, and Vladimir Kara-Murza. Photo by V. Bukovsky press center)
The leader of the United Civil Front, Garry Kasparov, held a meeting at the U.S. Congress on introducing visa sanctions against senior Russian officials responsible for violations of civil rights and freedoms, and complicity in corruption. According to the Vladimir Bukovsky press center, the topic of personal sanctions was discussed in a meeting of Kasparov with U.S. Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman and Congressman James McGovern. The negotiations also involved a member of the Federal Political Council from the Solidarity party, Vladimir Kara-Murza.
In November 2010, a proposal to ban entry into the U.S. of officials involved in violations of Russia’s international obligations on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, was made by Solidarity bureau member Boris Nemtsov. He urged Michael McFaul, National Security Council secretary for Russian affairs, to leave a joint Russian-American commission on the issues of civic organizations. Speaking before Congress, Nemtsov suggested that Vladislav Surkov, first deputy chief of the Russian presidential administration and co-chairman on of the commission on the Russian side, be named in the bill concerning a ban on entry into the U.S. by Russian officials and law enforcement officials on the so-called ‘Magnitsky list’. According to Nemtsov, McFaul supports this idea.
“I think that Surkov should be the first to be denied entry into the West,” said Nemtsov. “He is responsible for establishing censorship in the country, he is responsible for turning Russian elections into an absolute farce, he created and funds extremist pro-Kremlin youth organizations that hold hate marches about downtown Moscow, while representing our human rights activists and opposition members as Nazi criminals.”
Nemtsov also proposed a pact in support of democracy in Russia, the essence of which would be to impose sanctions not against the country, but against certain individuals. “America is used to putting sanctions against countries, but a regime of sanctions against certain officials has not yet been done,” he said.
In early January, Senators McCain and Lieberman issued a joint statement calling the December 31st arrest of Nemtsov at an opposition rally: “shameful and outrageous.” Congressman McGovern is the co-chairman of the House of Representatives Human Rights Commission, and co-author of a bill of visa sanctions against Russian officials involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
In ‘Grani.ru’, January 28th, 2011
http://www.grani.ru/Politics/Russia/m.185748.html
Amazing the arrogance,,, the euros are demanding that Russia abide by the decisions of the EU court of human rights regarding Russia.The euros are desperate to gain control of Russia politically so they can dictate the terms of gas purchases. Their arrogance is amazing,,,,,
This long-winded revolution needs to boil down the message. Otherwise, very few will support them.