OREANDA-NEWS. American lawmakers introduced a resolution to Congress calling on the US administration to impose sanctions on Russian officials who, according to Washington, are involved in human rights violations in the Russian Federation. This was reported by the press service of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives of the Congress.

The resolution was submitted by the head of the Committee, Eliot Engel (Democrat from New York State) and senior Republican in the Committee, Michael McCaul (representing Texas). It is proposed to impose sanctions, in particular, in the framework of the Magnitsky Act. In addition, the document condemns the practice of politically motivated arrests. The authors of the resolution also called for the immediate release of all who are called political prisoners in Russia.

The Magnitsky Act was passed by the US Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in December 2012. The document provides for the application of sanctions against a number of officials of the Russian Federation.