Russia threatens tough response if U.S. backs rights bill MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the United States on Thursday to expect a tough response if the U.S. Congress passes "unfriendly and provocative" legislation designed to punish Russian officials for human rights violations. The Russian Foreign Ministry said U.S.-Russian ties were sure to suffer if lawmakers backed a move directing the U.S. government to deny visas to Russian officials involved in the detention, abuse or death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in jail in 2009. Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives brushed off the threat as they began debate on the legislation as part of a broader package to extend "permanent normal trade relations," or PNTR, to Russia. "Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky's death and it is outrageous ... that this kind of action in this 21st century still exists in a country that claims to be a democracy," said Representative David Dreier, the Republican chairman of the House Rules Committee. "It is horrendous and it is unacceptable," Dreier said. Magnitsky, who was arrested in 2007 after exposing a massive tax fraud, has become a symbol of corruption and the abuse of Russians who challenge the authorities. The U.S. Congress must approve PNTR to ensure that American companies receive all the market-opening benefits of Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization in August. U.S. business backs the combined trade and human rights bill out of a belief that the benefits from approval of PNTR will outweigh negative fallout from the Magnitsky portion of the legislation. "The impact that we're going to get out of the Russia PNTR legislation in terms of our rights in the WTO puts us on such a better playing field in that market," said Linda Dempsey, a top official at the National Association of Manufacturers. Lauren Airey, who also works for the manufacturers group, said it expected a "very strong bipartisan" vote in the House on Friday. The bill would then go the Senate, where supporters are optimistic it will be approved. Obama is expected to sign the bill, even though the White House initially wanted legislation that did not contain the human rights sanctions provisions. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not specify how Russia would react to passage of the Magnitsky bill, under which any Russian officials accused of involvement in the case would have assets they held in U.S. banks frozen. "Considering very crude violations of human rights in the United States itself, including the practical legalization of torture and the indefinite holding of inmates without trial in special CIA prisons and at the Guantanamo base (in Cuba), the United States has no moral right to preach or moralize to other countries," he said. Lukashevich said Russian-U.S. relations were moving in a positive direction but added that it could "very easily evaporate, unfortunately." Additional reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya in Moscow and Doug Palmer in Washington; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Keiron Henderson and Paul Simao