Increasingly Europe is using ‘sanctions‘ against persons and regimes worldwide.
Strangely enough litigation was necessary to urge the EU to improve practices in regard of the human rights of those (to be) ‘listed’ on the sanctions lists. Hopefully rule of law now also applies to the listing of individuals.

Recently a think tank study regarding sactions was published on the website of the European Parliament (EP). It shows why there is a “Magnitsky” fashion in international law nowadays.

Announcement of the study on the EP website:

Sanctions are one of the tools utilised to address human rights violations. They are also an increasingly prominent tool in the European Union’s foreign policy. International sanctions policy is part of a global trend towards individualisation: rather than affecting the state as a whole, bans nowadays are targeted at individuals identified as responsible for the abuses. The present study analyses the evolution of targeted sanctions regimes imposed by the EU, as well as by the UN, against individuals on grounds of gross human rights violations. It focuses on the most recent developments in international sanctions practice. It provides recommendations on how this tool could be further developed at EU level, making reference to the option of adopting a Global Magnitsky-type legislation allowing for the designation of human rights abusers worldwide.

More information: the study, that is filed under ‘human rights’

Aanvulling 23 mei 2018
Zie over Magnitsky ook de video waar Zembla naar verwijst:

Sergei Magnitsky: a Russian lawyer who died in prison after his testimony about the largest Russian tax fraud in history. ZEMBLA investigates the story of Magnitsky. Watch it online: https://t.co/CIeJi41pzl #BillBrowder #SergeiMagnitsky #Magnitsky #Russia #taxfraud #Zembla

— ZEMBLA (@ZEMBLA) 17 mei 2018