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Latvia bans entry to three high-ranking Russian officials

The list includes the head of Russia’s constituent Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, the chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, and the Duma deputy Andrei Lugovoi

Edgars Rinkevics EPA-EFE/Valda Kalnina

Edgars Rinkevics

© EPA-EFE/Valda Kalnina

MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. Latvian authorities have banned entry of the country’s territory to 49 foreigners from the so-called Magnitsky List, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics twittered on Sunday without revealing the names of the blacklisted persons.

He revealed, however, that the list includes the head of Russia’s constituent Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, the chairman of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, and the Duma deputy representing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Andrei Lugovoi.

Earlier this month, the Latvian Saeima national parliament endorsed a draft resolution that was a version of the notorious US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012. As many as 60 deputies voted for the resolution, seven voted against it and the more deputies abstained from voting.

The Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act is a component element of the law on revoking the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which the U.S. authorities introduced in 1974. It envisions sanctions against the officials allegedly responsible for gross encroachments on human rights.

Apart from denying entry of the US territory for blacklisted persons, the law also stipulates the freezing of their financial assets in the U.S., should any be found.

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Magnitsky Act Ramzan Kadyrov

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