Politics

Russia Slams Magnitsky Act

The bill bans Russians accused of human rights abuses from entering the U.S.

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Russia has accused the United States of engaging in cold war tactics and threatened tit-for-tat retaliation after the US Senate passed a bill banning Russian officials accused of human rights abuses from travelling to the country.

The US Senate on Thursday passed the Magnitsky Act, named after a Russian lawyer for London-based investor William Browder who died in prison, as part of a bill that lifts Soviet-era trade restrictions on Russia. The bill, which must be signed by President Barack Obama before coming into force, includes a visa ban and asset freeze on those officials involved in Magnitsky's death.