Russia reacts with fury after America bans Russian officials accused of human rights abuses from entering the US
- Anger as US passes law named after anti-corruption lawyer
- Sergei Magnitsky died in police custody after exposing a £143m fraud
- Russia claims it will hit back with its own sanctions again US officials
Furious Russian politicians accused America of Cold War tactics for passing a law barring any of its officials suspected of human rights abuses from the US.
Tensions between the superpowers were reginited yesterday after US senators passed a new bill that included the Magnitsky Act.
The act is named after Sergei Magnitsky, an anti-corruption lawyer who died in a Russian jail in 2009.
It is claimed Mr Magnitsky had been tortured and was denied hospital treatment prior to his death.
Financier Bill Browder poses beside a picture of his former lawyer Sergei Magnitsky
He was arrested in 2008 while investigating a £143m fraud by Russian tax and police officials.
Mr Magnitsky was hired to investigate the fraud by financier Bill Browder, who has since campaigned for justice him.
The new bill will see Russian officials accused of human rights abuses banned from getting visas, and also aims to freeze the assets of those involved in Mr Magnitsky's death.
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But Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov condemned it and claimed his country would retaliate by barring US officials accused of the same abuses.
Speaking after a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Dublin last week, he said: 'We will also close entry to Americans who are guilty of human rights violations.'
The government department he oversees also attacked the bill on Twitter, saying it was from the 'theatre of the absurd' and would 'adversely affect the prospects of bilateral co-operation.'
US Secretary of State has incurred the wrath of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov over the bill
The tweets continued: 'Apparently, Washington has forgotten what year this is and still thinks the cold war is going on.
'It is perplexing and preposterous to hear human rights complaints from the US, where torture and kidnapping are legal in the 21st century.
'This biased approach is nothing but a vindictive desire to counter Russia in world affairs.'
Angry Kremlin officials also coralled the Young Guard youth wing of the ruling United Russia party to protest.
It's spokesman Maxim Rudnev said:'The US positions itself as a country of freedom.
'And yet, the American leadership is itself infringing upon the freedom of citizens of another country.
'It's worth asking: is the United States deserving of hosting the Statue of Liberty?'
And Media boss Margarita Simonyan, who runs state-run news channel Russia today also attacked America's behaviour.
She said: 'And now they'll shut down entry to Russia for some American officials who are involved, let's say, in the death of Afghan kids.
'What are they going to do, cry?'
The criticism came despite a poll showing 39 per cent of Russians supported the US law, compared to just 14 per cent who opposed it.
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