On Dec.10 the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions based on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, targeting Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s Deputy Prime Minister Vakhit Usmayev, Kadyrov’s advisor Daniil Martynov, and Russia’s former envoy for the Middle East and North Africa Ziyad Sabsabi among others, and including some companies.
Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov treated the new sanctions with the disgust they deserve. In response to a media question posted to the embassy Facebook page, the ambassador stated: “The actions of the U.S. administration are just another and detrimental move against Russia which will deepen the crisis in bilateral relations. The allegations that Russian officials are responsible for human rights violations are groundless and beneath criticism.
