Chinelo Obogo, Lagos

The UK Parliament will on November 23 hold a debate on individual sanctions against Nigerian Government officials, Daily Sun has learned.

In an email sent to one of the individuals (name withheld) who signed a petition asking the UK government to sanction those responsible for the killing of unarmed EndSARS protesters, the petitions team of the UK government and parliament said November 23 has been set aside for its parliament to debate the issue.

The email read:

“Parliament is going to debate the petition you signed: “Implement sanctions against the Nigerian government and officials’. The debate is scheduled for 23 November 2020. Once the debate has happened, we’ll email you a video and transcript.’

The debate on whether or not sanctions should be imposed on Nigerian government officials will depend on the conditions stipulated in the UK Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020, also known as the ‘Magnitsky’-style sanctions regime.

According to the UK government website, the sanctions regime targets those who have been involved in some of the gravest human rights violations and abuses around the world.

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The regulations put in place sanctions measures to deter, and provide accountability for, activities which, if carried out by or on behalf of a State within the territory of that State, would amount to a serious violation by that State of an individual’s: right to life, right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, right to be free from slavery, not to be held in servitude or required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

The UK government said so far, 49 individuals and organisations involved in some of the most notorious human rights violations and abuses in recent years have been designated for sanctions under the powerful new regime.

The individuals and organisations are the first wave of designations under the new regime, with further sanctions expected in the coming months.

The global regime means the UK has new powers to stop those involved in serious human rights abuses and violations from entering the country, channelling money through UK banks, or profiting from its economy.

The measures will target individuals and organisations, rather than nations.

It is the first time that the UK has sanctioned people or entities for human rights violations and abuses under a UK-only regime, and will allow the UK to work independently with allies such as the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union.

The UK’s first wave of sanctions under this new regime targeted: 25 Russian nationals involved in the mistreatment and death of auditor Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered widespread Russian corruption by a group of Russian tax and police officials; 20 Saudi nationals involved in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; 2 high-ranking Myanmar military generals involved in the systematic and brutal violence against the Rohingya people and other ethnic minorities; 2 organisations involved in the forced labour, torture and murder that takes place in North Korea’s gulags.