The list of ‘undesirable’ U.S. officials whom Moscow recently barred from entry to Russia is longer than the so-called Magnitsky List, which bans Russian officials allegedly linked to the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky from entering the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich announced the introduction of the initial list on Saturday. "We, of course, have not left the political provocation against our country unanswered. On the principle of reciprocity, we have confirmed a list of U.S. citizens whose entry into the Russian Federation is undesirable," Lukashevich said.
“Our list is more extensive,” Lavrov said on Tuesday. Russia retains the right to amend the list, he added.
Magnitsky was arrested and jailed without trial in November 2008, and died in police custody a year later after being denied medical care. The 37-year-old lawyer was working for Hermitage Capital Management, a British-based investment fund, when he accused tax and police officials of carrying out a $230-million tax scam.
In July 2011, the U.S. State Department banned visas for about 60 Russian officials over their involvement in the detention and death of Magnitsky.
Lukashevich said in a statement the list contains "highly-appointed Washington officials tied to crimes in the humanitarian sphere."
"The names of those who are responsible for wrongful actions against Russian citizens in the United States, who sanctioned [those actions] and were personally involved in their kidnapping and mockery are known," the Russian Foreign Ministry statement reads. "Those names have also of course been added to the list [of barred entry] into Russia."
Lavrov emphasized, however, that the individuals featured in the list will not be officially released.
