Russia warned on Thursday that the US Congress will damage relations with Moscow if it passes legislation designed to punish Russian officials for human rights violations, and threatened a firm response. US lawmakers may vote on Friday on a measure directing the government to deny visas to Russian officials involved in the detention, abuse or death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in jail in 2009, and freeze any assets they have in US banks.
"Such a step will unavoidably have a negative effect on the whole range of Russian-US relations," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a news briefing. "We will certainly not leave the introduction of essentially anti-Russian visa and financial sanctions without consequences," he said. Adoption of the bill named after Magnitsky, who has posthumously become a symbol of corruption abuse of Russians who challenge the authorities, could undermine efforts to smooth relations at the start of President Barack Obama's new term.