Duma to consider bill retaliating Magnitsky Act at 2nd reading Wednesday
MOSCOW. Dec 19 (Interfax) - A Russian bill intended to retaliate against the U.S. Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 that the State Duma published in its database before passing it in the second reading contains all harsh proposals recommended by the constitutional legislation committee, including that on repealing a Russian-U.S. intercountry adoption agreement, so effectively banning the adoption of Russian children by U.S citizens.
The bill titled "On Measures Affecting Individuals Involved in Violations of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms and Rights and Freedoms of the Citizens of the Russian Federation" should be considered at a plenary session later on Wednesday.
The State Duma website published a list of amendments to the bill, 14 of which the committee recommended adopting and 11 rejecting.
The bill the Duma is considering in response to the Magnitsky Act would impose similar visa and financial sanctions on U.S. citizens abusing the rights of Russian citizens. The bill was initiated by State Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin and the heads of the four parliamentary factions.
Before the second reading, a number of repressive amendments were proposed to the bill. In particular, the committee supported an amendment banning the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens and outlawing bodies and organizations brokering the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families on Russian territory.
