Bill Browder and John Kerry

Sergey Lavrov: Engagement on issues of mutually strategic interest doesn’t mean there can’t also be sanctions, he said in Toronto this week, according to The Toronto Star. And, he added, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov three times a week on Syria in spite of the fact that the U.S. passed Magnitsky sanctions in 2012. There no reason why they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, says Bill Browder, once Russia biggest foreign investor, and now a spear carrier for sanctions to punish those he holds responsible for the death of whistle-blowing tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The 37-year-old lawyer died in prison in 2009 after exposing evidence of a $230-million tax fraud perpetrated by Russian officials. Browder successfully campaigned in Washington for sanctions against officials held responsible for Magnitsky death, unleashing a torrent of fury from Moscow and tit-for-tat legislation.A year ago the House of Commons passed a unanimous motion tabled by Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and aimed at any foreign nationals who were responsible for the detention, torture or death of Sergei Magnitsky or who have been involved in covering up the crimes he exposed. A report by Russia presidential human rights commission said police torture could have led to his death, and that he was denied medical aid and beaten while seriously ill. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.