(KCEN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law today a bill that bans adoptions by Americans.
Both houses of Russia's parliament passed the bill earlier this week, which is in retaliation for a new U.S. law imposing sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights violators.
Earlier this month President Obama signed the bill, which freezes the American assets of Russians accused of abusing human rights.
Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch says, "But what's shocking is that they are using, that they're putting the well being of children at risk for the sake of political retribution. And that has to stop."
The law has been met with harsh criticism in Russia by both government officials and civilians.
