Russia issues travel ban on five US officials
In response to the expansion of the U.S. Treasury’s ‘Magnitsky list,’ Moscow published a list of U.S. citizens "involved in the legalization and use of torture," who are now denied entry into Russia.
The day after the expansion of Washington's ‘Magnitsky list,’ Moscow retaliated. On Tuesday, February 2nd, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a list of U.S. citizens who are prohibited from entering Russia. All of them are former high ranking officials of the Pentagon, the CIA and the Justice Department. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s website describes them as "persons involved in the legalization and use of torture, and the indefinite imprisonment of people."
Among them are former U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales; former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Douglas Feith; the former General Counsel of the CIA, John Rizzo; former Assistant Attorney General, Jay Bybee; and former Pentagon General Counsel, William Haynes.
The entry into Russia is being denied to these Americans "on the basis of Federal Law № 272-FZ ‘On measures against persons involved in the violation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms, and the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Russian Federation,’" the Foreign Ministry said.
The Russian ministry, commenting on the extension of the ‘Magnitsky list’ on February 1st, called it "another blow to bilateral relations," and the list itself was referred to as "notorious" and that it "exists to make baseless accusations against Russian officials."
The day before the U.S. Treasury announced the expansion of the ‘Magnitsky list,’ including several Russians, namely Alexey Anichin, Yevgeny Antonov, Boris Kibis, Pavel Lapshov and Oleg Urzhumtsev. This black list compiled by U.S. authorities includes those who were involved in the death of lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, while in prison, as well as those responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture and other serious human rights violations.