Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: The Magnitsky Act

The Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, a piece of legislation moving through the U.S. Congress that is very likely to pass into law, is turning into a major irritant in U.S.-Russian relations, threatening to deal a fatal blow to Barack Obama’s “reset” policy. What is the true significance of the Magnitsky Act? Is it an attempt by a foreign power to administer justice when the Russian state makes no effort to punish those guilty of Sergei Magnitsky’s murder? Could it really positively impact the human rights situation in Russia? Russian officials really fear the visa ban?