Russia Bans US Officials in Diplomatic Dispute

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　　Russia's Foreign Ministry² said on its website Saturday that it is blacklisting unspecified U.S. officials Moscow says were involved in abductions of terrorism suspects, torture of inmates³ at Guantanamo prison, and killings⁴ of civilians⁵ in Afghanistan and Iraq.

　　The move is in response to the U.S. State Department's decision in July to ban dozens of unidentified Russian officials allegedly involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

　　Magnitsky was arrested in 2009 for what his supporters said were phony tax evasion⁶ charges.  He died nearly a year later at age 37 after prison authorities withheld⁷ medical care and possibly life-saving surgery.

　　U.S. law requires the State Department to deny visas to anyone accused of human rights violations⁸, including torture.

　　Magnitsky worked for a U.S.-owned investment fund in Russia.  He accused Russian police officials of stealing fund documents as part of a scheme to pocket hundreds of millions of dollars.

　　Those same police officials arrested Magnitsky, charging him with tax evasion.  He spent nearly a year in jail in poor health, denied the care which could possibly have saved his life.

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