Moscow issues new warning to U.S. over Magnitsky sanctions
MOSCOW. June 15 (Interfax) - The co-chairmen of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission's working group for civil society, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia and Russian Foreign Ministry's Human Rights Commissioner Konstantin Dolgov have discussed the humanitarian agenda of the U.S.-Russian relationship, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The U.S. partners have again been warned against any unilateral restrictive measures against Russian citizens, in particular, in the context of the bills debated in the U.S. Congress over the death of Sergei Magnitsky, which can seriously hurt the humanitarian cooperation between our countries and the bilateral relationship as a whole," the ministry said in a statement issued after consultations held in Moscow on June 14-15.
Russia emphasized the need for adequate protection of the rights and statutory interests of Russian citizens in the U.S.
"[Russia] has therefore reaffirmed the importance of a swift repatriation of Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko, who were convicted in the U.S. on the basis of politically motivated verdicts, and a more immediate need to ensure strict respect for their procedural rights and humane prison conditions in accordance with international standards," the Foreign Ministry said.
Russia pointed to the need for "additional, more efficient efforts by the U.S. authorities to protect the rights of Russian children adopted by U.S. citizens," the ministry said. "Russia stressed the importance of those responsible for the abuse of Russian children being held to account proportionately to the gravity of their actions," the Foreign Ministry said.
At the consultations, the parties reaffirmed the mutual desire to ensure the efficiency of the working group as an important mechanism of the bilateral dialogue on civil society and other humanitarian issues.
"In this context, Russia proposed to hold another formal session of the Group in mid-July 2012. This proposal did not suit the U.S. partners who suggested later dates," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
