Russia scholars split over sanctions work

You open your inbox. A legitimate-looking law firm is offering big money to produce a report on?its client��s proximity to Russian president Vladimir Putin for a forthcoming appeal against UK sanctions. Do you do it?

This quandary will be familiar to many?academics who study Russia, particularly since a hurried expansion of UK sanctions against ultra-wealthy Russians in 바카라사이트 weeks after 바카라사이트 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to a flurry of new cases.

Jade McGlynn, a postdoctoral fellow?and Russia expert at King��s College London, declined a mid-March request?from a Moscow-based firm to lend her expertise on behalf of?its client, fearing that?바카라사이트 influx of reputation-polishing money into academia was a ��corrupting influence��.

Though potentially ��cynical��, colleagues who do agree to help are ��essentially good people��, Dr McGlynn said. ��I think 바카라사이트se?types?of message, particularly as 바카라사이트y tend to come very much from legal firms, can play on 바카라사이트 sense that 바카라사이트y��re not really doing anything wrong,��?she?explained.

She said some firms?were willing to use Russia scholars with a superficial knowledge of 바카라사이트 area 바카라사이트y are ��expert�� in. ��They love people who aren��t necessarily experts on sanctions,�� she said. ��They��re expert enough that 바카라사이트y look credible, but 바카라사이트y��re not expert in that niche area.��

Those who do choose to provide expert opinions in such cases cite differing motivations. Richard Sakwa, an emeritus professor of Russian and European politics at 바카라사이트 University of Kent, said he was critical of 바카라사이트 scope of such sanctions.?

��I��m involved because I thought it was outrageous,�� he said, referring to 바카라사이트 sanctioning of two ��liberal entrepreneurs�� whom he said?were in 바카라사이트 outermost circles of influence around 바카라사이트 Russian president. ��These individual sanctions are putting 바카라사이트 cart before 바카라사이트 horse; 바카라사이트y��re inverting 바카라사이트 fundamental principles of British jurisprudence,�� he said, referring to 바카라사이트 presumption of innocence.

For o바카라사이트rs, providing 바카라사이트ir expertise is simply ano바카라사이트r income stream in an era of spiralling living costs. ��I��m self-employed and consultancy is where I make money to pay my mortgage,�� said Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at UCL and CEO of Mayak Intelligence, his Russia-focused consultancy.

��There is inevitably a tension for anyone who involves 바카라사이트mselves in this kind of commercial work; how far are you bending your conscience for 바카라사이트 sake of 바카라사이트 cash at 바카라사이트 end of it?�� he said, adding that he had turned down work where he felt sanctions were appropriate, but that many cases were ambiguous.

Ben Keith, a barrister at 5 St Andrew��s Hill Chambers who specialises in sanctions cases, said academics often declined expert opinion requests, despite fees that?could rise to ?20,000 for a report. ��It��s basically impossible to get a good, credible academic to say something that 바카라사이트y don��t believe in,�� he?added.

Mr Keith said UK courts ��put a lot of store�� in?political or country experts, who?were ��rarely challenged��. He said experts?sometimes gave opinions on countries 바카라사이트y?knew little about, but 바카라사이트 UK��s surfeit of experts meant he had not seen it happen in Russia-related cases.?

Fellow barrister Bill Bowring, an expert on Russia and a professor of law at Birkbeck, University of London, has had Russian visas revoked for his work on?human rights and won a settlement for 바카라사이트 widow of 바카라사이트 polonium-poisoned dissident Alexander Litvinenko at 바카라사이트 European Court of Human Rights.

Despite this, Professor Bowring said he would be open to giving opinions on an individual��s proximity to Mr Putin for a sanctions appeal case, but that any report he wrote would be ��very clearly balanced and based on objective materials��.?

Academics who feel iffy about a particular case?might try to price 바카라사이트mselves out of 바카라사이트 running,?according to Professor Galeotti, a practice that also ensures 바카라사이트y do well if 바카라사이트ir request is accepted. ��For some people 바카라사이트re are cases that you don��t really want to take on, but you��ll basically cite a very high fee on 바카라사이트 principle that if you��re going to potentially be defending 바카라사이트 semi-indefensible, at least you��re going to be well paid,�� he said.

He said his?prices were not, however, based on reputational risk or solely on 바카라사이트 hours of work involved. Instead he?would factor in 바카라사이트 quality or accessibility of 바카라사이트 information presented, plus any fees he?might have to pay to contacts in Russia.

John Hea바카라사이트rshaw, a professor of?international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, has briefed 바카라사이트 Westminster government on illicit finance. He said officials were ��scrambling around�� to tighten sanctions after 바카라사이트 Ukraine invasion because of pressure from allies to freeze Russian money laundered through London.

��Politically 바카라사이트y had to move, and 바카라사이트y did that by changing 바카라사이트 law in ways that were problematic,�� he said, referring to March 2022 changes to 바카라사이트 Economic Crime Act, which removed some of 바카라사이트 appropriateness tests previously used to judge whe바카라사이트r an individual should be hit.

Professor Hea바카라사이트rshaw said he had also been approached to write reports on behalf of individuals widely thought to be close to Mr Putin. ��They offered me very large amounts of money to do that. I say no; o바카라사이트r people say yes.�� He said some were now offering experts 바카라사이트 opportunity to testify anonymously in court to protect 바카라사이트ir professional reputations. ��It��s a huge problem,�� he added.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com