Bill freezing assets, imposing restrictions on foreigners who infringe on rights of Russian citizens passes in State Duma

MOSCOW. March 4 (Interfax) - A bill that applies sanctions envisaged by the so-called Dima Yakovlev Law to all foreigners who infringe on the rights of Russian citizens passed the third reading in the State Duma on Friday.

The sanctions include a ban on entering Russia, a freeze on financial assets on Russian territory, a ban on property and investment deals, and a suspension of operations of any companies controlled by a blacklisted foreigner.

An explanatory note to the bill says that the terms of Russian children's adoptions by foreigners set by the Dima Yakovlev Law remained unchanged.

The Russian government submitted the bill to the State Duma on June 2, 2021. It applied the provisions of the Dima Yakovlev Law to any foreigners, instead of just U.S. citizens originally blacklisted by the law. The first reading of the bill was delayed last year, as the State Duma did not have enough time to address this item on its agenda. In the end, the first reading took place on December 15, and the bill passed the second reading on January 25.