The federal law was passed by the State Duma on December 21, 2012 and approved by the Federation Council on December 26, 2012.
The federal law provides for sanctions for those guilty of violating the fundamental human rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.
Measures include an entry ban for U.S. citizens involved in such violations, as well as Russia being able to freeze the financial and other assets of U.S. citizens banned from entering its territory. The law also prohibits any business dealings with the property and investments of these citizens.
A list of American citizens banned from entering Russia is being compiled by the federal executive authorities that oversee the Russian Federation’s international relations.
Citizens of the United States included in the above-mentioned list will be prohibited from owning property or conducting business activities in Russia.
The federal law also provides for suspending the activities of non-profit organisations that receive cash and other assets from American citizens (organisations), and are involved in political activities in Russia. The suspension also affects non-profit organisations implementing projects, programmes, or conducting other activities in Russia that act as a threat to Russian interests.
In addition, the federal law provides that citizens of Russia who are also U.S. nationals cannot be members or leaders of non-profit organisations, or members or leaders of branches of international or foreign non-profit organisations, involved in political activities in Russia. The law provides for penalties in the case of its violation.
The federal law prohibits U.S. citizens from adopting children who are Russian citizens, and also prohibits activities relating to selecting and transferring Russian children to U.S. citizens for adoption from being conducted in Russia. In this connection, the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America Regarding Cooperation in Child Adoption, signed in Washington on July 13, 2011, has been terminated.
The federal law also provides that the law itself, as well as the Federal Law On the Exit from the Russian Federation and Entry into the Russian Federation, concerning the undesirability of the presence (residence) of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation, will affect citizens of countries that have prohibited Russian citizens from entering their territory and frozen Russian citizens’ assets because of their supposed involvement in human rights violations in Russia.