No progress should be made on granting Russian officials visa-free travel to the European Union without legislation to ban individuals who conspired to torture and kill lawyer Sergei Magnitsky from entering the EU, according to Kristiina Ojuland, member of the European Parliament from Estonia.

Ms Ojuland, spokeswoman on Russia for the ALDE (liberal) group in the European Parliament, made her comments as members of the European Commission travelled to Moscow for biennial policy consultations – which this time are expected to focus on relaxing visa restrictions for Russian officials.

Her comments were echoed by German MEP Werner Schulz, the Green group’s spokesman on Russia, who added that it was ‘incomprehensible’ that the majority of EU governments has given in to pressure from Moscow on this issue.

Ms Ojuland is the author of the parliament’s recommendation, passed in October 2012, calling on EU member states to approve legislation to impose visa bans on those responsible for Magnitsky’s death and other serious human rights abuses.

The Russian government has long been lobbying for visa-free travel to the EU for Russian citizens. The discussions in Moscow are likely to focus on the first phase of relaxing visa restrictions, which would be to allow holders of Russian service passports – more than 180,000 federal and regional officials – to enter the EU without a visa.

A recent decision by the governments of Luxembourg and Germany to drop their opposition to visa-free travel for holders of service passports has raised expectations of a deal between Russia and the EU later this year.

However, Ms Ojuland said the current situation underlined the inconsistency of EU policy towards Russia, and raised concerns that officials responsible for corruption and human rights abuses – the same officials targeted by her proposal for a Magnitsky law – could be allowed to travel to the EU with impunity if this week’s visa dialogue progresses.

Mr Schulz criticised the Commission for allowing visa liberalisation to be discussed at the Moscow meeting, saying that the timing ‘could not be more regrettable’ as Magnitsky’s posthumous trial proceeds and Russian investigators halted the investigation into his death.

Ms Ojuland’s press release in English is here.
Mr Schulz’s press release in English is here.

Video news release in English: