Slow Progress
U.S. Global Magnitsky Sanctions in their Sixth Year
One of the most surprising trends of the U.S. Global Magnitsky sanctions program over the past year has been the noticeable decline in its use. This year saw a 30 percent drop in the number of persons sanctioned for their direct involvement in human rights abuse or corruption, compared to the annual average in the first five years of the program. The drop was even steeper if the comparison also includes persons who were sanctioned solely for their ties to abusive or corrupt actors.
While such declines have occurred before, this year saw the lowest number of Global Magnitsky sanctions imposed in the past four years. The decline came despite a multi-year, ongoing effort by Congress and civil society to ensure the Treasury, State, and Justice Departments have additional appropriations and staff capacity to implement the Global Magnitsky program.
