Lindsey Graham calls for US to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is calling for the U.S. to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

He advocated for making Russia "pay a price for killing" Alexei Navalny.

The Russian opposition figure, who was just 47 years old, died last week.

"They deserve this designation," Graham declared, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been killing "opposition leaders for decades now."

Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District claimed that Navalny had "felt unwell" and lost consciousness, reports indicate.

If designated, Russia would join a list of nations that currently includes Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Syria.

"Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961). Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions," according to the U.S. State Department website.

"Designation under the above-referenced authorities also implicates other sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with state sponsors," the department notes.

Last month, Graham urged the Biden administration to strike Iran.

"The Biden Administration can take out all the Iranian proxies they like, but it will not deter Iranian aggression. I am calling on the Biden Administration to strike targets of significance inside Iran, not only as reprisal for the killing of our forces, but as deterrence against future aggression," Graham declared in a tweet. "Hit Iran now. Hit them hard," he urged.

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