New US sanctions target more in Putin's power structure
New U.S. sanctions target more individuals in Russian President Vladimir Putin's power structure
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
New U.S. sanctions Tuesday target more individuals in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power structure, including tougher penalties against the leader of Kremlin-allied Belarus and his family.
Other new sanctions Tuesday target a judge and investigator in Russia's prosecution of two outspoken critics of alleged corruption and rights abuses.
Some of Tuesday's sanctions were brought under the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 act of Congress that authorizes sanctions against those engaged in human rights abuses.
Tuesday's sanctions show the U.S. going after more individual officials after laying down some of the toughest sanctions of modern times against Russian institutions and top figures over Putin's nearly 3-week-old invasion of Ukraine.
“Today’s designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights,” a Treasury official, Andrea Gacki, said in a statement.
That includes newly announced sanctions against Natalia Mushnikova, a Moscow judge in the case of Sergei Magnitsky, the anti-corruption whistleblower for whom the act is named. Magnitksy died in pre-trial detention in 2009 after exposing an alleged tax-fraud scheme by Russian officials.
Also targeted is Nurid Salamov, a prosecuting investigator in Russia whom Treasury accuses of taking part in an allegedly trumped-up case against Oyub Titiev, of the rights group Memorial.
Tuesday's sanctions also add to sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime leader of Belarus, who is allowing Putin to use his country as a staging ground for attacks on Ukraine. They newly sanction Halina Lukashenko, wife of the Belarus leader.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.