Russia has imposed personal sanctions against 25 British representatives, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. This step was taken by the Russian side in response to the unfriendly actions of the British authorities and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity. The diplomat recalled that in July 2020, the United Kingdom government imposed restrictions on a number of Russian officials in the Magnitsky case.
"In response to the unfriendly actions of the British authorities and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, the Russian side made a decision to impose personal sanctions against 25 British representatives who are barred from entering the Russian Federation," - said in a statement by Zakharova, published on the website of the Russian diplomatic service.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman recalled that the British government, under "far-fetched and absurd pretexts" in July 2020, imposed sanctions against a number of Russian officials as part of the British "Magnitsky Act". Zakharova stressed that Moscow has more than once provided exhaustive comments and explanations, which London prefers not to notice.
“It is unclear on what basis they undertake to“appoint”the guilty and determine their“punishment”. The actions of the British side cannot be called anything other than an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of another state and exert pressure on the Russian justice system,” - she clarified and called on the British authorities to abandon the "unsubstantiated confrontational policy."
Earlier, the UK developed a law similar to the Magnitsky Act in force in the United States. The American initiative initially imposed sanctions against a number of Russian officials who, according to the United States, were involved in the death in November 2009 in the Moscow detention center Matrosskaya Tishina of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. In particular, a ban on entry into the country and blocking of financial assets in US banks are being introduced with respect to persons from the "Magnitsky list".
Subsequently, the law was given global status, which made it possible to include in the sanctions lists citizens of any countries suspected by the American authorities of violating civil rights. In the UK, the House of Commons approved a similar document back in 2018, but it was only able to take effect after leaving the European Union.
