Reuters: Regulatory News: UPDATE 1-Russian parliament approves ban on American adoptions

Reuters: Regulatory News Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

UPDATE 1-Russian parliament approves ban on American adoptions Dec 26th 2012, 11:38 Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:38am EST MOSCOW Dec 26 (Reuters) - Russia's upper parliament house unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban Americans from adopting Russian children, in retaliation for a U.S. law that punishes Russians accused of human rights violations. The bill, which President Vladimir Putin has hinted he will sign, would also outlaw some U.S.-funded non-governmental organisations and impose visa bans and asset freezes on Americans accused of violating the rights of Russian citizens. It is Russia's response to the Magnitsky Act, a law signed by U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this month to bar Russians accused of human rights violations from entering the United States and to freeze any assets they hold there. The Federation Council, Russia's upper parliament house, voted 143-0 to approve the bill, which has drawn condemnation from rights activists and Kremlin opponents who say lawmakers are playing a political game with the lives of children. Putin has signalled support for the measure despite unusual criticism from some government officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a deputy prime minister who has warned Putin that it could violate international agreements. The U.S. law and the Russian response are adding tension to the relationship between the countries, which is already strained over issues ranging from Syria to Putin's treatment of opponents and restrictions imposed on non-governmental organisations since he began a new term in May.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions