US puts Kadyrov on sanctions list for human rights violation

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury has included Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, and four other people in the sanctions list under the Magnitsky law for alleged violation of human rights, the authority said in a statement late on Wednesday.

“OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) designated Ramzan Kadyrov for being responsible for extrajudicial killing, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against individuals seeking to expose illegal activity carried out by officials of the government of the Russian Federation, or to obtain, exercise, defend, or promote internationally recognized human rights and freedoms,” the statement read.

OFAC also said that Kadyrov controls the government of the republic which is involved in “disappearances and extra-judicial killings,” and suspected Kadyrov of illegal acts against political opponents.

The sanctions were also introduced against Ayub Katayev, a law enforcer in Chechnya reported to have been involved in abuses against gay men, and against three people involved in a large-scale tax fraud conspiracy allegedly discovered by Sergei Magnitsky – Yulia Mayorova, Andrei Pavlov, and Alexei Sheshenya.

End