The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act: Taking Stock
Hearing Notice
Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing to examine implementation of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Authorized as part of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 114-328) and implemented and expanded by Executive Order 13818 issued in December 2017, Global Magnitsky sanctions have been imposed on more than 240 individuals and entities identified as responsible for serious human rights abuses or corruption from more than 30 countries. Legislation modeled on Global Magnitsky has been approved in several places including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, and is under consideration in others, including Australia and Japan. Designed to be an agile “smart” sanctions tool, Global Magnitsky sanctions are often referred to as a means to hold perpetrators and corrupt persons accountable for their actions.
The legislative authority for Global Magnitsky sanctions sunsets in 2022. A bill to reauthorize the sanctions has been introduced in the Senate (S. 93) and a House companion bill will be introduced shortly. As Congress begins the reauthorization process, the hearing provides an opportunity to review how the sanctions authority has been implemented, how effective the sanctions have been in achieving their objectives, and whether any adjustments are needed to the original statute.
The hearing will be virtual. Pursuant to H. Res. 965, Members of Congress who wish to participate remotely may do so via Cisco WebEx. Members of the public and the media may view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. The hearing will also be available for viewing by congressional staff on channel 55 of the House Digital Channel service. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi (for Co-Chair Smith).
Hosted by:
| James P. McGovern Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC | Christopher H. Smith Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC |
Opening Remarks
- Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC
Written remarks - Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chair, TLHRC
Written remarks
Witnesses
Panel I
- Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
Written testimony
Panel II
- Beth Van Schaack, Leah Kaplan Visiting Professor of Human Rights, Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Stanford University
Written testimony - John Hughes, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Energy, Economics and Security Program, Center for A New American Security and Senior Vice President, Albright Stonebridge Group
Written testimony
Submitted for the Record
- Freedom House, Statement for the Record
- Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC), Statement for the Record
- 2021 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act memorandum, Congressional Research Service