Biden signs order against ban by American citizens abroad

This measure will allow US government agencies to impose sanctions and other measures on those who fairly ban “US”, an American official said during a press conference before Biden signed the order.

This movement comes after recently some American citizens have been arrested in Russia, including basketball player Britney Greener. Russian authorities have said they have found cannabis oil in her suitcase, when she was passing through Sheremetevo Airport in February.

The other American citizen, ex-Marinis, Paul Whelan, was arrested in December 2018 and charged with spying. He has denied the charges, but in June 2020 he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Beden “is committed to resolving all these cases”, the US official said.

At the same time, Washington wants to create a prevention strategy that increases the consequences for taking hostages, including imposing financial and travel sanctions.

James W. Foley, says 64 Americans are currently unjustly banned or are being held hostage.

This foundation was founded on behalf of James Foley, American journalist who was kidnapped and killed in Syria in 2014.

President Biden's order comes after former US businessman Trevor Reed was involved in a prisoner exchange, respectively, with Konstantin Yarosenko, a Russian pilot who had been imprisoned in the US on charges of drug trafficking.