Russia Slams Magnitsky Act

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

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.