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The committee for constitutional legislation recommended to approve the bill retaliating for the "Magnitsky Act"

The Federation Council is to review the resounding bill on December 26, its last plenary session this year

MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) — The committee for constitutional legislation under the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament on Tuesday recommended the house to approve the bill retaliating for the "Magnitsky Act," which envisions a ban for U.S. citizens to adopt Russian children. The committee issued the recommendation after discussing the document earlier in the day. Journalists were not present at the discussion.

"All the Committee members /present at the session/ voted to support the bill," chairman of the committee Adnrei Klishas told reporters. He underlined that as head of the committee he was not wondering if Russia's new legislation was "a symmetrical or asymmetrical response to "the Magnitsky Act." My task - in issuing the conclusion on behalf of the committee -- is to analyze legislation for conformity to the Russian Constitution, Russian legislation and Russia's international commitments. It conforms to them," Klishas stated.

In case the FC approves the bill, it will become effective from January 1, 2013, along with one of its provisions to ban the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens.

The Federation Council is to review the resounding bill on December 26, its last plenary session this year.

On December 21, the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament approved the 3rd, final reading of the bill on measures of influence on the persons involved in violations of the basic human rights and freedoms, and the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens, which was Russia’s response to the U.S. "Magnitsky Act." Russian lawmakers approved the visa and financial restrictions upon the persons who had made the decision to ban the entry into their countries of certain Russian citizens and arrest their arrests for the involvement in human rights violations. The State Duma also banned the adoption of Russian children by Americans and called for denouncing the Russian-U.S. child adoption agreement.

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