VoA reports on 20th December that the US has financially blacklisted 5 Russians, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, whom it accused of carrying out deadly repression against people trying to expose government corruption. In addition, the US designated Ayub Kataev, a prison warden and head of a branch of the Chechen internal affairs ministry, accused of extrajudicial killing and other human rights violations, including abuse of gay men. The 3 others, Alexei Sheshenya, Yulia Mayorova, and Andrei Pavlov were said to be involved in the $230 million tax fraud conspiracy uncovered by attorney Sergei Magnitsky at the Russia-based Hermitage Fund.
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