WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and author of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act and the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, issued the following statement on the anniversary of the death of Sergei Magnitsky.
“Today, on the 11th anniversary of his death, we honor the legacy of Sergei Magnitsky, whose incredible bravery inspired a global effort to protect fairness, truth, and justice. Sergei lost his life in pursuit of these values when he tried to shed light on the corruption of the Russian government. His mission lives on through two laws in his name, which I am honored to have authored along with the late Senator John McCain. These laws gave the United States the tools to hold bad actors around the world accountable for corruption and violations of human rights. Through them, we have sanctioned more than 70 officials in over a dozen countries for crimes ranging from the persecution of LGBTQ individuals to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Sadly, there are still governments and leaders across the globe working to undermine fundamental freedoms and to enrich themselves at the expense of their people. In Sergei’s memory, we must take a firm stand against these practices and keep building a freer, fairer world.”
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