Belarusian Organization: Lukashenko's Negative Stance on the Magnitsky Law in Line with Expectations

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko recommended that Russia "not give a d**n" about the Magnitsky Law, a legislation that imposes sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the death of lawyer Sergey Magnitsky and implicated in embezzlement of taxpayers' money and corruption. The Magnitsky Bill was passed by the US Congress in November 2012 and signed into law on December 14.

"This kind of reaction to an anti-corruption law from Lukashenko had to be expected," says Ilya Lushnikov, spokesman for Belarusians in Exile, a public organization. "The EU and the US have introduced sanctions against Lukashenko's regime, and we have recently asked the European Parliament to impose stricter sanctions on companies sponsoring the authoritarian regime in Belarus. Lukashenko's outburst against the Magnitsky Law demonstrates, yet again, that sanctions are an effective weapon against dictatorial regimes."

Jamison Firestone , a lawyer and Sergey Magnitsky 's partner, one of the supporters of the anti-corruption law, said, "Lukashenko is the last person in the world to advise Russia how to avert travel bans and asset freezes.  The sanctions against Lukashenko and those who support his repressive regime have served as a model for the Magnitsky sanctions.  If Russia follows Lukashenko's advice, there is no doubt that the Magnitsky sanctions will quickly be adopted by the EU and most of the developed world."

Belarusians in Exile
Ilya Lushnikov
info@belorussians.org
+1 (646) 583-2525
www.belorussians.org

SOURCE Belarusians in Exile

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