Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that their countries' relations would suffer "serious damage" if Washington adopts a bill to penalize Russian officials for human rights abuses.
Lavrov stressed to Clinton at talks on Friday in St. Petersburg that "the possible endorsement in the United States of the Magnitsky bill will bring serious damage to relations between our countries," Itar-Tass reported.
The Foreign Ministry had no comment on the report.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week passed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, named after an anti-corruption lawyer whose death in 2009 while in pre-trial detention drew widespread condemnation.
The bill would deny visas and freeze the assets of Russians suspected of involvement in his death.
Despite broad support in Congress, the bill's future remains uncertain, partly because the U.S. administration is unenthusiastic about a measure that Russia says would be an unwarranted intrusion into its internal affairs.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
