UPDATE2: US imposes sanctions on Russia’s top investigator, four others

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WASHINGTON/MOSCOW, Jan 10 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions against five Russian officials, including Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee, for alleged violations of the Magnitsky Act, the department said late on Monday.

The list also includes Andrei Lugovoi, Dmitry Kovtun, Stanislav Gordiyevsky, and Gennady Plaksin.

The Magnitsky Act bars Russians believed to have been involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky or other severe human rights abuses from entering the U.S. and freezes their assets there.

Reuters reported that U.S. senators will announce sanctions against Russia for alleged hacking during the U.S. presidential campaign on Tuesday. The draft encompasses visa restrictions and an asset freeze, Reuters said citing the draft.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the sanctions hurt relations between Russia and the U.S. The U.S.’ new sanctions are new steps to worsening the relations, but Moscow is ready for a dialogue even in such conditions.

“The sanctions are certainly an element that has an extremely negative impact on bilateral relations, but along with this, even in conditions of sanctions, Moscow would welcome any possibilities of dialogue and is ready for it,” Peskov said.

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