Russia vows 'tough' response to U.S. Magnitsky bill
Russia's Foreign Ministry says Moscow will have a "tough"
response if the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act is
adopted in the U.S. Congress, Radio Liberty reported.
Sergei Magnitsky was a Moscow attorney who died in a Russian prison
in 2009 after being denied medical treatment and allegedly beaten
after uncovering fraud by Russian authorities against an American
company.
This week, U.S. lawmakers moved to advance the bill in the House of
Representatives. The bill proposes visa restrictions and a
financial freeze on Russian officials allegedly involved in
Magnitsky's death.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich told journalists
there would be "consequences" to what he called an "anti-Russian
initiative."
He also warned that the bill's adoption would "inevitably influence
bilateral relations."
Last month, the European Parliament approved a proposal
recommending similar restrictions for officials believed to be
involved in Magnitsky's death.