"In March of last year, Veselnitskaya took aim at Canadian efforts to adopt Magnitsky legislation with various posts on social media in attempts to discredit Canadian advocacy efforts, including my own. Those posts were immediately followed by several anti-Magnitsky articles that appeared in Russian pro-Putin media. Those quickly prompted a member of Russia’s Civic Chamber to demand that the Russian prosecutor general investigate those advocating for Canadian Magnitsky, including myself.
The development of new Canadian platforms and proxy groups to communicate its narratives and promote its agenda has become a priority for the Putin regime.
A few months after the Russian invasion of Crimea, a hastily concocted “grassroots” organization called The Russian Congress of Canada was formed, claiming to represent the interests of Russian-speaking Canadians. The organization’s website parrots Kremlin propaganda, much of which is intended to undermine Canadian support for Magnitsky legislation and those who advocate for it. The group recently sent out a mass email to Canadian MP’s entitled “Appeal to Prime Minister Trudeau to question Minister Freeland’s integrity.”
The Kremlin also uses oligarchs and business contacts to try and shift Canadian policy. It does this partly, via organizations such as the Canada Russia Eurasia Business Association. Bombardier, a CERBA member connected with Russian state-owned enterprises, has lobbied hard in Ottawa to remove Russian sanctions and has succeeded in keeping former head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin off of Canada’s sanctions list.
As Canada’s own Magnitsky sanctions legislation moves toward a final vote in the fall, Canadians can expect an escalation of Russian disinformation and provocation targeting members of our government, media and civil society. As such, Canadian politicians and government decision makers must be prepared, and learn to recognize disinformation and Kremlin active measures in order to protect the integrity of our own democracy and institutions."
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