The Lantos Foundation applauds the passage today in the US Senate of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. The bill imposes a variety of sanctions on those who are known to have participated in the detention, abuse and death of Sergei Magnitsky– a brave young lawyer who risked his life to expose widespread corruption and abuse by Russian officials. Individuals implicated in these crimes against Sergei Magnitsky would be denied visas and are subject to having their assets in the United States frozen. This vital legislation sends the clear message to tyrants and torturers around the world that America is determined to stand up for human rights and the rule of law. President of the Lantos Foundation Katrina Lantos Swett commented; “We urge President Obama to sign this important legislation and we hope it will become a template for similar sanctions to be imposed on gross violators of human rights globally.”