Latest news with #MagnitskyAct
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US Announces Visa Curbs Targeting Social Media ‘Censorship'
(Bloomberg) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on foreign officials and other individuals who 'censor Americans,' including those who target American technology companies, as the Trump administration steps up a confrontation with other countries over their social media policies. NYC Congestion Toll Brings In $216 Million in First Four Months NY Wins Order Against US Funding Freeze in Congestion Fight Without giving specifics, Rubio cited instances of foreign governments censoring protected speech in the US, saying it was unacceptable for foreigners to 'issue or threaten arrest warrants on US citizens or US residents for social media posts on American platforms,' according to a statement on Wednesday. It is unclear from the statement what prompted the move and whether it was directed at any particular official or country. In a social media post, however, Rubio alluded to Latin America and Europe in saying 'the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.' At the same time, an article posted on the State Department website on Tuesday singled out the European Union's Digital Services Act, alleging that it's being used to silence dissident voices. 'Independent regulators now police social media companies, including prominent American platforms like X, and threaten immense fines for non-compliance with their strict speech regulations,' according to the article, written by an official from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the EU over its regulatory crackdown on some of the biggest US tech companies and threatened to strike back with penalties. His administration is also at odds with a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes, who briefly banned access to Elon Musk's X and US video-sharing platform Rumble Inc. Last week, Rubio told lawmakers that the US might impose sanctions on Moraes under the Magnitsky Act, which freezes the US assets of foreign officials accused of corruption and bans them from traveling to the country. On Wednesday afternoon, Brazil's Supreme Court said in a statement that 'Moraes does not and has never had any assets, money, or property in the United States.' --With assistance from Daniel Carvalho. Mark Zuckerberg Loves MAGA Now. Will MAGA Ever Love Him Back? Millions of Americans Are Obsessed With This Japanese Barbecue Sauce YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Inside the First Stargate AI Data Center How Coach Handbags Became a Gen Z Status Symbol ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
CNN
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Sanctioned Ukrainian ex-politician shot dead outside Madrid's American school
Madrid, Spain CNN — Former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov, who worked as a senior aide to pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych, has been shot dead outside a school near the Spanish capital Madrid, Spanish authorities told CNN. Portnov, 51, a lawyer and former lawmaker, was the deputy head of Yanukovych's administration before it was ousted in Ukraine's 2014 pro-democracy uprising. He was shot several times by multiple assailants on Wednesday as he was getting into a car around 9:15 a.m. local time (3:15 a.m. ET), a Spanish police source told CNN, adding that the assailants fled into a wooded area. The Madrid region's Summa emergency services said he had three gunshot wounds, including one to the head, and he died shortly after the first ambulance arrived on the scene. The shooting took place outside the American School of Madrid, located in Pozuelo de Alaracon, an affluent suburb just west of Madrid. The school sent out various urgent messages to parents following the incident, which took place shortly after school drop-off, noting that all students were safe and that the school believes the victim is the father of a student but was awaiting formal identification, a source close to the school told CNN. Police cordoned off the area outside the elite school, which has just over 1,000 students from the United States, Spain and several dozen other countries. Portnov was sanctioned by the United States in 2021 for corruption and bribery under the Magnitsky Act. He was 'credibly accused of using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine's courts and undermining reform effort,' according to the US Treasury Department. The Magnitsky Act, signed into law in December 2012, blocks entry into the US and freezes the assets of certain Russian and pro-Russian government officials and businessmen accused of human rights violations. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the office of the President of Ukraine have not commented on Portnov's death. The Security Service of Ukraine previously investigated Portnov's possible involvement in Russia's annexation of Crimea, but the case was later closed. The former politician fled Ukraine months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, when men of draft age were not permitted to leave. Canada also froze his assets in 2014 as part of a crackdown on 'corrupt foreign officials,' in relation to his work as a former adviser to ousted ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Portnov was appointed deputy head of Yanukovych's administration in 2010, as well as the head of Ukraine's Main Directorate for Judicial Reform and Judicial System. At the same time, Portnov became a member of the board of the National Bank of Ukraine. Yanukovych was driven from office by mass demonstrations in Ukraine in 2014 after he turned his back on the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. Yanukovych then fled Ukraine for Russia, along with Portnov and other high-level former officials in the wake of the 2014 pro-democracy, pro-European Maidan protests. Portnov later returned to Ukraine in 2019. Ukraine itself never imposed sanctions on Portnov. In December 2024, media and civil society organizations in the country launched a petition demanding sanctions against him, alleging continued corruption aimed at controlling the Ukrainian judiciary, and highlighting concerns that he was going after critical journalists with lawsuits and threats. Portnov once released the personal data of several members of an investigative journalism project run by RFE/RL, who were looking into his dealings with the Ukrainian government. The petition gathered 25,000 signatures, but Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers rejected it, citing insufficient grounds for sanctions. Other killings Portnov is not the only ally of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych who was killed after he was ousted from power. In 2015, CNN reported on two high-profile shooting deaths in the Ukrainian capital – one of a former member of parliament with ties to Yanukovych, the other of a Ukrainian journalist known for his pro-Russian views. At the time, those killings renewed speculation about a conspiracy to kill people close to Yanukovych, after three former members of parliament from his political party died by suspected suicide, found dead in their homes. Spain has also experienced a recent spate of attacks related to the Russia-Ukraine war, and it has significant populations of expatriates from both countries. In 2022, there was an explosion at Ukraine's embassy in Madrid, injuring one Ukrainian employee who was handling a letter addressed to Kyiv's ambassador to Spain, officials said. Other letter bombs followed, including one sent to the Spanish prime minister. A Spanish man was eventually arrested for the bombs, which a judge said were intended to disturb public peace and create pressure for Spain to suppress its support to Ukraine. Spain has provided humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. In 2024, a Russian pilot who dramatically defected to Ukraine by flying his helicopter across the border was found dead in Alicante, Spain, after being shot in the parking garage of an apartment building. Al Goodman reported from Madrid. Lauren Kent and Jack Guy wrote and reported from London.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rubio teases US sanctions on leading Brazil judge
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the United States may impose sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has clashed with former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro and Elon Musk. Asked at a congressional hearing if President Donald Trump's administration was considering sanctions on Moraes, Rubio said: "That is under review now, and it's a great possibility that will happen." Moraes has been at odds with Musk, the world's richest person and close advisor of Trump, by temporarily blocking his X social media platform until it complied with the judge's orders to suspend accounts. Moraes said he was acting to protect democracy by targeting pervasive disinformation in Brazil, where Bolsonaro's supporters in 2023 stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court as they claimed the election was stolen from him. The attack had striking similarities to the January 2021 riot at the US Capitol by supporters of Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro. Moraes more recently ordered a suspension of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative and far-right voices, over its refusal to block the account of a user based in the United States who was wanted for spreading disinformation. The State Department under Rubio criticized the judge's order as violating democratic values, leading Brazil to accuse the United States of politicizing a court decision. Rubio was asked if the United States could target Moraes under the Magnitsky Act, which freezes US-based assets and bars travel to the country for foreign officials accused of human rights abuses or corruption. The 2012 law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax lawyer who died in prison after exposing corruption. sct/aha
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sanctioned Ukrainian ex-politician killed outside Madrid's American school, police source says
Former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov, who worked as a senior aide to pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych, has been shot dead outside a school near the Spanish capital Madrid, a Spanish national police source told CNN. Portnov, 51, was shot several times as he was getting into a car around 9:15 a.m. local time (3:15 a.m. ET), the police source said. Various assailants shot him in the back and the head, and later fled into a wooded area, the source said. The shooting took place outside The American School of Madrid, located in Pozuelo de Alaracon, an affluent suburb just west of Madrid. The school sent out various urgent messages to parents following the incident, which took place shortly after school drop-off, noting that all students were safe and the victim is believed to be the father of a student, a source close to the school told CNN. The school has just over 1,000 students from the United States, Spain and several dozen other countries. Portnov was sanctioned by the United States in 2021 for corruption and bribery under the Magnitsky Act. He was 'credibly accused of using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine's courts and undermining reform effort,' according to the US Treasury Department. The Magnitsky Act, signed into law in December 2012, blocks entry into the US and freezes the assets of certain Russian and pro-Russian government officials and businessmen accused of human rights violations. The Security Service of Ukraine previously investigated Portnov's possible involvement in Russia's annexation of Crimea, but the case was later closed. The former politician fled Ukraine months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, when men of draft age were not permitted to leave. Canada also froze his assets in 2014 as part of a crackdown on 'corrupt foreign officials,' in relation to his work as a former adviser to ousted ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Portnov was appointed deputy head of Yanukovych's administration in 2010, as well as the head of Ukraine's Main Directorate for Judicial Reform and Judicial System. At the same time, Portnov became a member of the board of the National Bank of Ukraine. Yanukovych was driven from office by mass demonstrations in Ukraine in 2014 after he turned his back on the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. Yanukovych then fled Ukraine for Russia, along with Portnov and other high-level former officials in the wake of the 2014 pro-democracy, pro-European Maidan protests. Portnov later returned to Ukraine in 2019. Ukraine itself never imposed sanctions on Portnov. In December 2024, media and civil society organizations in the country launched a petition demanding sanctions against him, alleging continued corruption aimed at controlling the Ukrainian judiciary, and highlighting concerns that he was going after critical journalists with lawsuits and threats. Portnov once released the personal data of several members of an investigative journalism project run by RFE/RL, who were looking into his dealings with the Ukrainian government. The petition gathered 25,000 signatures, but Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers rejected it, citing insufficient grounds for sanctions. Portnov is not the only ally of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych who was killed after he was ousted from power. In 2015, CNN reported on two high-profile shooting deaths in the Ukrainian capital – one of a former member of parliament with ties to Yanukovych, the other of a Ukrainian journalist known for his pro-Russian views. At the time, those killings renewed speculation about a conspiracy to kill people close to Yanukovych, after three former members of parliament from his political party died by suspected suicide, found dead in their homes. Al Goodman reported from Madrid. Lauren Kent and Jack Guy wrote and reported from London.
Saudi Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Ukrainian ex-politician shot dead outside Madrid's American school
MADRID — Former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov, who worked as a senior aide to pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych, has been shot dead just outside the Spanish capital Madrid, a Spanish national police source told CNN. Portnov, 51, was shot several times as he was getting into a car around 9:15 a.m. local time (3:15 a.m. ET), the police source said. Various assailants shot him in the back and the head, and later fled into a wooded area, the source said. The shooting took place outside The American School of Madrid, located in Pozuelo de Alaracon, an affluent suburb just west of Madrid. It has just over 1,000 students from the United States, Spain and several dozen other countries. The school sent out various urgent messages to parents following the incident, which took place shortly after school drop-off, noting that all students were safe and the victim is believed to be the father of a student, a source close to the school told CNN. Portnov was sanctioned by the United States in 2021 for corruption and bribery under the Magnitsky Act. He was 'credibly accused of using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine's courts and undermining reform effort,' according to the US Treasury Department. The Magnitsky Act, signed into law in December 2012, blocks entry into the US and freezes the assets of certain Russian and pro-Russian government officials and businessmen accused of human rights violations. The Security Service of Ukraine previously investigated Portnov's possible involvement in Russia's annexation of Crimea, but the case was later closed. The former politician fled Ukraine months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, when men of draft age were not permitted to leave. Canada also froze his assets in 2014 as part of a crackdown on 'corrupt foreign officials,' in relation to his work as a former adviser to ousted ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Portnov was appointed deputy head of Yanukovych's administration in 2010, as well as the head of Ukraine's Main Directorate for Judicial Reform and Judicial System. At the same time, Portnov became a member of the board of the National Bank of Ukraine. Yanukovych was driven from office by mass demonstrations in Ukraine in 2014 after he turned his back on the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. Yanukovych then fled Ukraine, and Portnov also left the country at the time. Ukraine itself never imposed sanctions on Portnov. In December 2024, media and civil society organizations in the country launched a petition demanding sanctions against him, alleging continued corruption aimed at controlling the Ukrainian judiciary, and highlighting concerns that he was going after critical journalists with lawsuits and threats. It gathered 25,000 signatures, but Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers rejected the petition, citing insufficient grounds for sanctions. — CNN
