Britain has issued its new economic sanctions list which includes several Saudis and Russians over the issue of Human Rights Violations.
The new sanctions list, according to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, will target ‘some of the notorious human rights violations in recent years’ and includes several individuals from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and North Korea.
The list includes 25 Russians and 20 Saudis responsible for death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi respectively.
“Those with blood on their hands – the thugs and despots, the henchmen and dictators – will not be free to waltz into this country,” said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
The most prominent Russian name on the list is of Alexander Bastrykin who is considered a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is accused of being involved in the death of Russian Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Meanwhile, prominent Saudi names on the list include Saud al-Qahtani, a former Saudi royal adviser, and Ahmed al-Asiri, a former deputy intelligence chief, both of whom are considered to have played a significant role in the murder of Jamal Kashoggi.
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However, it is imperative to know that these sanctions only target individuals and not the host country, allowing the United Kingdom to take action against Human Rights Violators without severely damaging the diplomatic ties with countries.
United States has appreciated Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on such individuals. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded Britain’s role as a global leader and close ally of United States for the preservation of principles of Human Rights