Prague, 14 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - A law that would allow foreign companies and individuals to be punished and have their assets frozen in the Czech Republic was approved in the country's legislature on Friday in its first reading. The vote was 112-0, with 18 abstentions. It must still be passed by the Senate and signed by President Milos Zeman before it can go into effect. The measure would also allow the Czech Republic to ban entry to people found to run afoul of the law. "The Czech Republic will be an instrument against everyone who violates human rights, who supports terrorism or takes part in cyberattacks," tweeted Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. The measure is based on US legislation that was written to punish Russian officials who were involved in the 2009 death of whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky.