The Magnitsky Act, almost forgotten in the past five years, has resurfaced with the ongoing investigation into Russiagate. If you are like most Americans, you have never heard of it, but Liberty Nation will get you caught up.
The backstory of this punitive measure, centered on trade with Russia, began after the death of Russian attorney and auditor, Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. Magnitsky, unfortunately for his health, uncovered tax fraud and theft by the government. Mother Russia retaliated by accusing Magnitsky of tax evasion, and sentenced him to prison for one year. Not surprising with the shadowy Kremlin, the imprisoned Magnitsky fell mysteriously ill (not so unusual in Russia) and died eight days before he was to be released.
Magnitsky died in custody after being held for 358 days, and an independent human-rights commission found he had been illegally arrested and beaten. The Kremlin maintains that Magnitsky died of a heart attack.
After Magnitsky’s death, President Obama signed a human rights bill, known as the Magnitsky Act, in December of 2012, after it breezed through the House (365-43) and Senate (92-4). The Act engaged the U.S. government into compiling a list of Russian citizens accused of human rights crimes, and subsequently enacting sanctions on eighteen individuals suspected of causing Magnitsky’s untimely demise.
You can view the names and short bios on that at Rogue’s Gallery here.
For those who wish to be in the know, and impress your social media opponents, we have compiled a list of why you should buff up on all things Magnitsky:
- The Act blocks those named eighteen individuals from entering the United States—whether for business, family, or pleasure.
- The ban froze all assets of those individuals.
- Americans are legally forbidden to conduct business with any of the named individuals.
- In retaliation, Russia passed a law that prohibits Americans from adopting Russian born babies.
Donald Trump Jr’s meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya to allegedly discuss Hillary Clinton’s nefarious deeds, quickly turned into a discussion on the Magnitsky Act and the ban on adoptions.
Those are the cliff notes, Liberty Nation followers, in a nutshell. Rest assured, once the talking heads at national news outlets learn to pronounce Magnitsky (which Maxine Waters will surely mangle repeatedly), you will be inundated with the terms ‘collusion’ and ‘corruption’ and of course that nasty word ‘treason’, but will remain guessing as to whom is the perpetrator. Stay tuned.
