The bill, which President Vladimir Putin has hinted he will
sign, would also outlaw some U.S.-funded non-governmental organisations and
impose visa bans and asset freezes on Americans accused of violating the rights
of Russian citizens.
It is Russia's response to the Magnitsky Act, a law signed by
U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this month to bar Russians accused of human
rights violations from entering the U.S. and to freeze any assets they hold
there.
The Federation Council, Russia's upper parliament house, voted
143-0 to approve the bill, which has drawn condemnation from rights activists
and Kremlin opponents who say lawmakers are playing a political game with the
lives of children.
Putin has signalled support for the measure in spite of unusual
criticism from some government officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and a deputy prime minister who has warned Putin that it could violate
international agreements.
The U.S. law and the
Russian response are adding tension to the relationship between the countries,
which is already strained over issues ranging from Syria to Putin's treatment
of opponents and restrictions imposed on non-governmental organisations since
he began a new term in May.
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