Moscow could deny entry to congressmen, senators sponsoring Magnitsky Bill - Russian analyst
MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax) - Financial and visa sanctions that the U.S. could impose on Russian officials if the Congress passes the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act (Magnitsky Bill) could prompt Moscow to deny entry to the congressmen and senators who initiated this legislation, says Sergei Markov, a member of the Russian Public Chamber and the director of the Institute of Political Studies.
"There are various options for response measures that could come from Moscow. For instance, in response to the sanctions envisioned by the so-called Magnitsky Bill, Russia could impose an entry ban on the people who played a key role in devising these sanctions," Markov told Interfax on Wednesday.
This step, if Moscow takes it, would have more impact on the U.S. as it would affect officials of higher rank than the Russian officials potentially falling under the Magnitsky Act, he said.
"The level of the U.S. individuals to which Russia's response actions would apply is higher than that of the Russians put on the Magnitsky list," Markov said. "The level of individuals who might feel Russia's response measures is higher. These are congressmen and senators," he said.
"A number of U.S. senators, congressmen and other officials believing that they are entitled to restrict rights of Russian citizens will have to take it as a fait accompli that Russia is also entitled to restrict some U.S. citizens' abilities," he said.
Russia's response measures will be "quite a fine-tuned instrument," Markov said. "While [the U.S.] has compiled an exhaustive list of Russians to whom the sanctions will be applied, the list to be compiled in response will be subject to prompt updates. Hence, as a response measure, this list could be quite a fine-tuned instrument," Markov said.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations recently unanimously approved the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, under which visa and financial restrictions could be imposed on a number of Russian officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs earlier gave a nod to the act. Thus, the first stage of considering the act in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate is over.
If passed by both the House and the Senate, the act will also need approval from the U.S. president to come into force.