(Read the full article on aljazeera.com)

Russia has announced tit-for-tat sanctions against nine senior Canadian officials, including the justice minister, following similar measures from Canada over the treatment of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, Al-Jazeera reported.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that the nine Canadians had been banned from entering Russia “for an undetermined period”, according to the news organisation.

The banned Canadians include Justice Minister David Lametti, prisons chief Anne Kelly, and Scott Bishop, commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, Al-Jazeera said.

Deputy Defence Minister Jody Thomas was also targeted along with Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and her deputy Brian Brennan, Al-Jazeera reported.

Senior army official Mike Rouleau, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc and Marci Surkes, a senior official in the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are also on the list.

Moscow said the entry bans were “reprisal measures” for sanctions slapped on nine Russian officials on March 24.