Czech government approves Magnitsky-style sanctions bill

The Czech government approved on Wednesday a Magnitsky-style bill to allow the imposition of sanctions on individuals or legal entities deemed to have seriously violated human rights, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.

The Czech government approved on Wednesday a Magnitsky-style bill to allow the imposition of sanctions on individuals or legal entities deemed to have seriously violated human rights, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said. The bill, inspired by similar acts adopted by the United States, Australia and Britain, also enables the government to place people involved in terrorism or cyber attacks on a sanctions list, the Foreign Ministry said in the draft bill.

"Human rights are and will be our priority. The bill now heads to the lower house," Lipavsky said on Twitter after the bill gained the government's endorsement. The bill, which the centre-right government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala has in its legislation plans, needs to be approved by both the lower and upper houses of the Czech parliament and to be signed by the president to take effect.

The original act, adopted by the United States in 2012, is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who was arrested and later died in prison in Russia in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of a massive tax fraud.

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