MOSCOW, April 13 (Itar-Tass) - There are 18 names in the Russian response to the "Magnitsky list", the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The published "Magnitsky list" is open blackmail to which Russia has no right not to respond, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated, commenting on the list of 18 Russian officials published by the American government on Friday. Unilateral sanctions are imposed against the officials in accordance with “the Sergei Magnitsky act on the rule of law and accountability” adopted by the U.S. Congress in December last year.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed regret in this connection. "Our assessment of the unfriendly step is well known -- under the pressure of Russophobic-minded members of the U.S. Congress, a powerful blow was dealt on bilateral relations and mutual confidence," the ministry said.
Moscow has not left it without response and responded properly to the interference in Russia's internal affairs. The names of Americans on the stop-list were placed on the Russian Foreign Ministry' website on Saturday. In accordance with the federal law on measures against persons involved in violation of basic human rights and freedoms, rights and freedoms of citizens of the Russian Federation, the Americans are banned from entering Russia.
On the Russian "Guantanamo list", among the persons involved in the legalization and the use of tortures and indefinite-period imprisonment are chief of staff to the vice-president (2005-2008) David Addington, justice department adviser (2001-2003) John Yoo, commander of the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo (2002-2003) Jeffrey Miller and commander of the base (2010-2013) Jeffrey Harbeson.
Among the persons involved in violation of rights and freedoms of Russian citizens abroad are current and former members of the judiciary of the Southern District of New York Judge Jed Rakoff, federal prosecutor Preet Bharara, former federal prosecutor Michael Garcia, six deputy federal prosecutors -- Brendan McGuire, Anjan Sahni, Christian Everdell, Jenna Debs, Christopher Lavigne and Michael Rosensaft. The list also includes senior specialists of the antidrug agency Louis Milione and Sam Gaye, special agents of the agency Robert Zachariasiewicz and Derek Odney and FBI agent Gregory Coleman.
Unlike the U.S. list formed spontaneously, the Russian list includes first of all those who are involved in the legalization of tortures and indefinite holding of prisoners in the special prison of Guantanamo, arrests and abduction of Russian citizens in third countries and attempts on lives and health of Russians, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.
"The "war of lists" is not our choice, but we have no right not to respond to the open blackmail," the ministry stated.
"It is time for politicians in Washington to finally realize that building relations with such a country as Russia in the spirit of mentoring and open dictating is futile,” the Foreign Ministry stressed.