{"id":101168,"date":"2018-07-17T09:27:30","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T13:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=101168"},"modified":"2018-07-17T09:31:25","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T13:31:25","slug":"why-did-the-u-s-revoke-bill-browders-visa-in-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=101168","title":{"rendered":"Why did the U.S. revoke Bill Browder’s visa in 2017?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bill Browder is one of Putin’s biggest critics. The US just revoked his visa.<\/h1>\n

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The anti-Putin activist has been banned from coming to America.<\/h3>\n

By Sarah Wildman\u00a0 |\u00a0 VOX<\/picture>\n

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William Browder testifying US Senate July 2017\u00a0Drew Angerer\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sens.\u00a0John McCain (R-AZ) and Ben Cardin (D-MD)<\/a>, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York\u00a0Preet Bharara<\/a>, and former US Ambassador to Russia\u00a0Michael McFaul<\/a>\u00a0are angry with the Trump administration\u2019s Department of Homeland Security for revoking the visa of British hedge fund manager William Browder, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n

Browder\u2019s visa was revoked on Saturday, the same day\u00a0Putin managed<\/a>\u00a0to get Browder placed on\u00a0Interpol\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0international watch list. Being on the list means he can\u2019t leave the UK without potentially facing arrest.<\/p>\n

Though far from a household name, Browder is no random billionaire. He\u2019s spent most of the past decade pursuing anti-Putin legislation from country to country in the name of one of his former employees, Sergei Magnitsky, who died under horrific circumstances in a Russian prison nine years ago.<\/p>\n

In this country, Browder\u2019s lobbying efforts led Congress to pass the Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act in late 2012, a bill that singled out a number of Putin allies and denied them US visas. The Kremlin has been trying to get him put on an Interpol watch list ever since; this week, after\u00a0four earlier efforts<\/a>, it finally succeeded.<\/p>\n

In an email exchange with Vox, Browder said he believed the timing of the Russian move was no coincidence. Canada just\u00a0passed<\/a>\u00a0a law closely modeled on the Magnitsky Act that sanctions foreign officials \u201cresponsible for, or complicit in, extrajudicial killings, torture or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Browder said he doesn\u2019t expect the US visa restriction to hold beyond this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Canadians passed the Magnitsky Act last week which infuriated Putin,\u201d Browder wrote me late Monday afternoon. \u201cHe gave a speech on Thursday night attacking Canada and me personally. He also instructed his prosecutor to add me to the Interpol list. That coincided exactly with my US ESTA (my visa waiver document) being revoked and losing my Global Entry status.\u201d<\/p>\n

The visa denial may have been\u00a0triggered automatically\u00a0<\/a>by Browder\u2019s inclusion on the Interpol list, but it sparked furious detractions from across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bill Browder is a champion of anti-corruption in #Russia<\/a>. DHS must immediately review decision to revoke his visa. https:\/\/t.co\/j0Pzt8t9QH<\/a><\/p>\n

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) October 23, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n