Immigration (Persons Designated under Sanctions Regulations) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Debate between Lord Russell of Liverpool and Lord Singh of Wimbledon

Wednesday 2nd September 2020 Grand Committee

[Lord Singh of Wimbledon (CB) [V]]

My Lords, I wholly concur with the sentiment that the human rights of individuals should be no less at the end of transition than they were under the European Convention on Human Rights and the refugee convention. It is said that there are some 2,000 individuals and entities involved. Given the sad state of human rights in the world, the number itself is not surprising.

Do the regulations also include those involved in international cybercrime designed to thwart the democratic process? All cases should be speedily investigated and the right of residence of those clearly involved should be speedily terminated. Equally, the right of residence of those found to be without fault should be fully protected.

My main concern is about the effectiveness and morality of targeted sanctions; that is sanctions against individuals and entities, rather than against countries that are sponsoring or supporting them in illegal activities that involve the abuse of human rights. The Magnitsky case, in which a Russian accountant exposed massive government fraud and died in a Moscow prison, illustrates my concern. Those who sent him to prison bear a greater share of the blame for his death than the prison authorities.

In the same way, those that order state-sponsored torture and murder are more guilty than those they hire to carry it out. We are told that those involved in the brutal murder and dismemberment of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi are subject to such restrictions. My question is: what about those who ordered his brutal murder? Will MBS—Mohammed bin Salman—be included in the sanctions?

Targeting hired assassins or a couple of generals from countries guilty of gross human rights abuses can easily become tokenism, giving a false impression of action and commitment simply designed to protect trade with rogue countries. My fears are underlined by the recent statement of a Conservative Minister, who said that when we talk trade with China, we should not mention human rights. I have never been a great fan of Brexit, but we can take it as an opportunity to give the world a new direction on human rights.

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Russell of Liverpool) (CB)]

I call the next speaker, the noble Lord, Lord Randall of Uxbridge. Lord Randall?