NPR

What Really Irritates Vladimir Putin? The Magnitsky Act

The U.S. law bans Russian human rights abusers from entering the U.S. The Russian president has railed against it since Congress passed it in 2012. The act now features in the Russia investigation.

If you're not familiar with the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 U.S. law, here's the most important thing to understand: Russian President Vladimir Putin and everyone in his orbit hates it.

"A purely political, unfriendly act," Putin called it at the time, and he's been railing against it ever since.

Congress wanted to punish Russian human rights abusers by barring them from

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
5 Workers Dead, Dozens Still Missing After A Building Collapsed In South Africa
Rescue teams worked searching for dozens of construction workers buried under the rubble after a multi-story apartment complex that was being built collapsed in a coastal city in South Africa.
NPR2 min readInternational Relations
Israeli Forces Take Control Of The Gaza Side Of The Rafah Crossing With Egypt
An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife's edge.
NPR2 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
Biden Decries Surge Of Antisemitism Since The October 7 Hamas Attacks On Israel
President Biden spoke out against harassment of Jewish students on college campuses, part of what he called a "ferocious surge of antisemitism" seen since Oct. 7.

Related Books & Audiobooks