Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Russia Bans U.S. Beef 'Over Diplomatic Row'


Russia's lower parliament appears to be retaliating against a US law that targets Russian officials accused of corruption. The Duma has already imposed restrictions on US pork and beef imports and is now considering a host of other punitive measures. A trade bill passed in the U.S. Senate on Friday will deny visas and freeze the assets of Russian officials linked to the death of a Russian whistleblower. Sergei Magnitsky uncovered evidence of a $230 million Russian tax fraud, but himself ended up accused of the crime. He died in suspicious circumstances in a Moscow jail in 2009. Russian health officials deny the ban on US meat is politically motivated. Al Jazeera's Robin Forestier-Walker reports from Moscow.

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