The Obama administration has imposed a travel ban on 60 Russian nationals, which Washington alleges are connected to the prison death of lawyer Sergey Magnitsky. ­Commenting on the Senate bill delivered last week, Washington unveiled plans for its visa blacklist, as well as a move to freeze assets belonging to certain individuals. "Secretary [Hillary Rodham] Clinton has taken steps to ban individuals associated with the wrongful death of Sergey Magnitsky from traveling to the United States," the Senate document said. "Senior Russian government officials have warned us that they will respond … if this [Senate] legislation passes," the document reads. "Their argument is that we cannot expect them to be our partner in supporting sanctions against countries like Iran, North Korea, and Libya, and sanction them at the same time." As uncertainties linger over the Obama administration`s commitment to a true "reset" in bilateral relations with Russia, aggravated by Washington`s insistence on constructing a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, Moscow continues to be a reliable ally on many fronts. The proposed draconian legislation by the US Senate, however, threatens to put an end to Russia`s cooperation. Russian officials have also warned that other areas of bilateral cooperation, including on military transit flights to Afghanistan, could be threatened by the passage of this legislation. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it would respond to questions on the issue but perhaps not until later in the week. Thus far, the United States Embassy in Russia has declined to comment on US media reports that the U.S. State Department has imposed visa restrictions on up to 60 Russian officials, presumably linked to the death of Hermitage Capital Management lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. "We cannot comment on this," an unnamed US Embassy official told Interfax on Tuesday. The head of the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov on Tuesday said that the so called Magnitsky case was primarily Russia’s internal affair, and warned that the US black list could have undesired consequences. "The idea of fighting crime and corruption in Russia is primarily our concern," Fedotov said in an interview with the Interfax news agency. "For us, it is crucial that all those who are really responsible end up on the `Magnitsky list` at the Russian, and not the U.S. border. We are doing everything we can to make sure that the people from this list are eventually barred not only from traveling to America, but also from leaving the country in any manner. They should also "stand trial," Fedotov went on to say. But the Russian HR official said that U.S. blacklists could prompt retaliatory measures from Russia. "We understand the noble goals. But one also needs to see the potentially unpleasant consequences. This step can generate retaliatory visa restrictions on the part of Russia," Fedotov said. "When a country establishes visa restrictions against another - it is, of course, its sovereign right, but it is thus provoking the other side to set symmetrical restrictions. This appears to me to be extremely counter-productive. Russia stated very openly and clearly that it is looking to have all visa restrictions lifted," the official said. Meanwhile, Moscow was warned against outside pressure being exerted in the case of the 37-year-old lawyer who died while in pretrial detention. Investigators alleged that Sergey Magnitsky had conspired with William Browder, who has reportedly been banned from entering Russia, to set up dummy front firms to illegally buy and sell shares in Russian energy giant Gazprom. In November 2009, Magnitsky died in prison following complications from an apparent case of pancreatitis. This month, the authorities announced prison doctors would be prosecuted for neglecting to provide the appropriate medical care for Magnitsky while he was being detained. The head of the Federal Penitentiary Service said last year that the service was partially responsible for the death of the lawyer. Following Magnitsky`s death, President Dmitry Medvedev put a law on the fast track that allows individuals suspected of "white collar crimes," as they are referred to in the West, to be released on bail as determined by the courts. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called the death a "tragedy." Meanwhile, the Russian State Duma, or lower house, has been considering a bill that would target US officials with similar sanctions, referring to the extradition of Russian citizens from third-party countries. In 2010, alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen, was extradited to the United States following a lengthy legal battle in Thailand. Bout, who has been the inspiration for at least one Hollywood film, now faces an uphill struggle to prove his innocence in the US court system.