Washington directly rebuked Moscow Monday evening when it lifted a travel ban against Bill Browder, a harsh Kremlin critic who was placed on an Interpol list of criminal fugitives by Russia.Browder, a British financier and proponent of the Magnitsky Act, revealed over the weekend that he had been temporarily banned from traveling to the U.S. But, on Monday evening, he confirmed he had been able to check in for a flight to the U.S.The Department of Homeland Security said Browder had been manually approved for travel to the U.S. as recently as Oct. 18, contradicting the financier’s claim that he was notified by email that his status on the Global Entry program had been changed on Oct. 19.The State Department said Monday that Browder had never held a visa, and that many British citizens use the visa waiver program.
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However, a source speaking to the New York Times says the ban was an automatic response to Browder being placed on the Interpol list and was not an affirmative action by the government.Browder said he discovered what had happened when he tried to check in to a flight to the U.S. Sunday night, claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued “an abusive Interpol arrest warrant” for him.The decision to lift Browder’s travel ban came in the wake of widespread bipartisan criticism. Sens. John McCain and Ben Cardin said in a joint statement that “it would be unfortunate if the U.S. decided to bar him based on a decision by those same Russian officials who have been targeted by this important legislation.”Browder began his campaign about seven years ago against the Kremlin after his accountant, Sergei Magnitsky, uncovered a $230 million scam by Russian tax officials.He was jailed and died in prison in 2009 after being denied medical care.