Medvedev bans Gaddafi family from entering Russia
Russia slapped an entry ban on Monday on Muammar Gaddafi and froze all financial operations involving the Libyan leader's family and top security aides involved in the violent crackdown on the opposition.
President Dmitry Medvedev's decree placed entry and transit restrictions on Gaddafi and 15 other figures including his children and "participants of the acts of violence against the demonstrators."
The group included the head of Gaddafi’s personal security team and the minister of defence and chief of the foreign intelligence service.
The financials restrictions applied to six people who besides Gaddafi included four of his seven sons and daughter.
"No funds, financial assets or economic resources may be offered to these private individuals or legal entities. On the territory of the Russian federation," Medvedev's decree states.
The announcement came four days after Medvedev imposed an arms export ban that fell in line with Russia's support of hastily-drafted United Nations sanctions against the Gaddafi regime.
But the text of Medvedev's decree published Monday also prohibited the export of all goods and services that may be potentially linked to any type of military activity.
The decree further stated that Russia reserved the right to "inspect all cargo travelling to or from Libya if there was a reason to believe that this cargo contains products banned" by the Kremlin order.
Russian defence officials said the UN arms export prohibition may cost the country some $4 billion in current and future contacts.
The Kremlin had been initially cautious to join the international criticism of the Gaddafi’s regime and expressed firm opposition to any military involvement in the country.
But foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that Russia was willing to listen to other nations' proposals for a no-fly zone over Libya.
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