House panel backs "Magnitsky" sanctions on Russia
Source: Reuters
House panel backs "Magnitsky" sanctions on Russia
By Susan Cornwell and Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON | Thu Jun 7, 2012 12:40pm EDT
(Reuters) - A congressional committee unanimously approved on Thursday a measure to penalize Russian officials for human rights abuses, adding to tensions with Moscow and complicating White House efforts to pass Russian trade legislation in the coming months.
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved on a voice vote the "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act," named for a 37-year-old anti-corruption lawyer who worked for the equity fund Hermitage Capital. His 2009 death after a year in Russian jails spooked investors and blackened Russia's image abroad.
The measure has bipartisan support among lawmakers but its prospects for passage in Congress remain uncertain.
The measure would require the United States to deny visas and freeze the assets of Russians linked to Magnitsky's death. The Obama administration already has imposed visa restrictions on some Russians believed to have been involved in Magnitsky's death, but kept their names quiet.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/07/us-usa-russia-rights-idUSBRE8560SJ20120607