ARTICLE · 19 DECEMBER 2019

EU Launches Preparatory Work For A Global Sanctions Regime For Human Rights Violations

DLA Piper UK LLP

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On 9 December 2019, High Representative/Vice-President of the European Union Josep Borrell announced that the Foreign Affairs Council has agreed with strong consensus to start the...

European UnionGovernment, Public Sector

Valerijus Ostrovskis

Anna Kovaleva

On 9 December 2019, High Representative/Vice-President of the European Union Josep Borrell announced that the Foreign Affairs Council has agreed with strong consensus to start the preparatory work for a global sanctions regime to address serious human rights violations.

The framework is expected to closely mirror the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which was signed into law in 2012 under the Obama Administration and imposes asset freezes and travel bans on Russian officials accused of being responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax advisor and lawyer, in a prison in Moscow. In 2016, U.S. Congress enacted the Global Magnitsky Act, allowing the U.S. Government to sanctions foreign government officials involved in human rights abuses anywhere in the world.

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