U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made a statement in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day and expansion of the Magnitsky sanctions. Ex-deputy head of the State Customs Service Raiymbek Matraimov and his wife Uulkan Turgunova have been sanctioned the day before.
It is clarified that these actions target actors across the globe who disregard individuals’ human rights and international standards to prevent and combat corruption.
«As we recognize International Anticorruption Day on December 9 and International Human Rights Day on December 10, the United States is using these sanctions along with the Department of State’s 7031© visa restriction authorities to promote accountability and deter human rights abuse and corruption globally. Together, these actions address perpetrators of corruption and human rights abuses ranging from a corrupt customs official in Kyrgyzstan, to leaders of armed gangs in Haiti, to human rights abusers in Chechnya, and many other bad actors. We stand beside our partners in the UK who similarly took action against those seeking to rob individuals of their rights,» the statement says.
We congratulate the UK on the actions it took today under its Global Human Rights sanctions program. In total, the United States and the United Kingdom designated 37 actors in the past 48 hours in connection with corruption or serious human rights abuse.
From the statement of the U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
The statement says that the United States looks forward to continuing partnerships with allies and civil society alike to defend human rights, combat corruption, and promote accountability and good governance.
«We also welcome the European Union as a partner in this effort after its decision this week to adopt a Global Human Rights sanctions framework of its own. Together, along with other international partners who seek to promote our shared values with similar tools, we will ensure corrupt actors and human rights abusers will have no refuge within our jurisdictions,» Michael Pompeo said.
Joint journalistic investigation by Azattyk, Kloop and OCCRP on smuggling and corruption at Customs caused a wide public outcry.
Raiymbek Matraimov is a defendant in a criminal case on corruption at the Customs Service. In November 2019, he was already summoned for interrogation by the State Committee for National Security.
In October, the national security bodies of Kyrgyzstan began pre-trial proceedings on the fact of corruption at the Customs. It was found out that since the beginning of 2016 to the present the former deputy chairman of the Customs Service Raiymbek Matraimov, other officials of the state service and controlled participants of the foreign economic activity established a corruption scheme on extraction of shadow incomes during customs administration, as a result of which the state budget was damaged on an especially large scale.
The detainee agreed to enter into a plea bargain and stated that he was ready to reimburse 2 billion soms to the budget. The court released Raiymbek Matraimov on pledge not to leave town. He had to transfer the entire amount of damage by the end of November 2020.
