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Russian lower house toughens legislation on U.S. adoptions

19 December 2012 22:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Russian State Duma, or lower house of the parliament, has adopted amendments to the anti-Magnitsky Act that toughen sanctions against U.S. citizens, local media reported Wednesday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The tit-for-tat bill, which would ban U.S. citizens from adopting Russian orphans and acting as intermediaries in that sphere, has been adopted with only four lawmakers voting against and two abstaining.

The bill was considered a retaliatory move against a U.S. law imposing visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials thought responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in 2009 in a Moscow jail after accusing officials of tax fraud.

In addition, the amendments ban dual Russian-U.S. nationals from participating in foreign non-government organizations.

Last Friday, the State Duma passed in its first reading a bill imposing entry bans on U.S. citizens who have committed crimes against Russians abroad, and persons involved in abduction or illegal imprisonment of Russians, as well as those implicated in abuse of adopted Russian children.

The bill's final reading is scheduled on Friday. If passed and signed by President Vladimir Putin, the bill will take effect on Jan. 1.

The measure would repeal a Russia-U.S. agreement on children adoption that came took effect Nov. 1st.

Earlier, Putin called upon lawmakers to mete out a proper response to the Magnitsky Act.

"It is necessary that our decisions would be adequate but not over the limit," said the president.