Canada adopts anti-Russia Magnitsky Act
By
Laurent Lafrance
25 November 2017
With all-party support, Canada’s Parliament adopted in late October a new sanctions law patterned after the US Magntisky Act. Under the pretext of targeting so-called human rights violators, the legislation provides a ready mechanism for Ottawa to sanction leaders of, and ratchet up tensions with, Russia and other countries in the cross-hairs of Canadian and US imperialism.
The Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Bill S-226) enables the government to freeze Canadian assets of “corrupt” foreign officials” and prevent them from entering Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, a self-avowed Ukrainian nationalist and notorious anti-Russian hawk, announced the first round of sanctions under the new law at the beginning of this month. They target 52 individuals in Russia, South Sudan and Venezuela, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
These sanctions were imposed only weeks after Canada targeted 40 other Venezuelan government officials and individuals under a different sanctions regime. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has labelled the sanctions as “illegal” and accused Canada of “absolute and shameful subordination” to Washington in its campaign for regime-change in Caracas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the passage of Bill S-226 by accusing Canada of playing “unconstructive political games.” While not revealing any names, Kirill Kalinin, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Ottawa told the Globe and Mail that a “large number of Canadians pursuing a toxic Russophobic agenda” were now prohibited from entering Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the list of Canadians…