By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian parliament’s lower house is likely to endorse an amendment banning the adoption of Russian children into families in the US, according to Deputy Speaker Sergei Neverov.
The State Duma Friday gave its preliminary approval to a draft law penalising US nationals involved in violating Russian citizens’ rights, touted as Moscow’s response to the Magnitsky Act.
The Russian bill, submitted to the State Duma last Monday, alleged US rights abusers — including people implicated in the abuse of adopted Russian children — will be banned from entering Russia and have their assets in Russia frozen.
Neverov said Monday the amendment would apply to all US nationals. “I think it will be approved.”
The Duma must pass the bill in two more readings before sending it for approval to the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council.
The second reading is slated to take place Wednesday, when this amendment will be proposed.
The bill mirrors the US law named after whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow jail three years ago. US President Barack Obama signed the Magnitsky Act into law Friday.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has criticised the US law as a “purely political, unfriendly act”.