Russian Federal Council passes "anti-Magnitsky Act"

 MOSCOW, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Federation¹ Council, or the upper house of the parliament, approved on Wednesday a bill which would imposes entry bans on U.S. citizens who have allegedly committed crimes against Russians abroad, and persons involved in abduction or illegal imprisonment² of Russians, as well as those implicated³ in abuse of adopted Russian children.

The bill is widely believed a retaliation⁴ for the U.S. " Magnitsky Act", which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in November, imposing⁵ visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials thought responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in 2009 in a Moscow jail after accusing officials of tax fraud.

The Russian lawmakers voted unanimously for the "anti-Magnitsky Act", or the Dima Yakovlev bill, which also bans U.S. citizens from adopting Russian orphans⁶ and acting⁷ as intermediaries in that sphere.

The bill is named after Dima Yakovlev, a Russian-born toddler who died in the United States due to his foster parents' negligence⁸.

According to the Russian process, the bill will be submitted to President Vladimir Putin for signing. It would take effect on Jan. 1, 2013 if signed by the president into law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told local media Wednesday that Putin would consider the "anti-Magnitsky Act" within two weeks after the Federation Council approved it.

The State Duma, or lower house of the parliament, on Friday passed the bill with 420 parliamentarians voting yes, seven voting against and one abstaining⁹.

However, the "anti-Magnitsky Act" was not supported by all the Russians. On Wednesday, the Moscow police have detained four people near the Federation Council building, who were protesting against the bill.

Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's commissioner¹⁰ for human rights, commented on Wednesday the bill banning the U.S. citizens to adopt Russian orphans does not contradict the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The high-ranking diplomat¹¹ said "The Convention contains no binding¹² norms regarding international children adoption¹³," adding that "on the opposite, it encourages the member states to prioritize the national means of children adoption."

The UNCRC, which grants all children and young people a comprehensive set of rights, was signed in November 1989. All member states are obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests of a child.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

3 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

6 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

9 abstaining   

戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的现在分词 )； 弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Abstaining from killing, from taking what is not given, & from illicIt'sex. 诸比丘！远离杀生，远离不与取，于爱欲远离邪行。
• Abstaining from arguments was also linked to an unusual daily cortisol pattern. 压抑争吵也造成每日异常的皮质醇波动。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

12 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

13 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。