Islam Times - Russia’s president threatens visa bans against US officials

Islam Times - Russia says it will impose visa bans against some US officials if the US Congress approves sanctions on certain Russian officials, whom Washington accuses of rights abuses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the remarks at the end of a G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

On June 7, the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approved "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act."

The bill is named after the Russian lawyer, who had been arrested on tax evasion charges and died in the Russian police’s custody in 2009. It obligates visa bans and asset freezes against the Russian officials allegedly connected to his death.

Two more committees must weigh in with their views on the matter before a vote by the entire House. The Senate is yet to act on its version.

Russian officials have warned that the potential approval of the bill threatens the bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington, saying the US is meddling in the country’s internal affairs.