Russia today branded US sanctions against Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov "illegal and unfriendly" after Washington accused the key Kremlin ally of involvement in murder and torture.

Yesterday, the US Treasury hit the Chechen leader with financial sanctions under the 2012 Magnitsky Act, accusing Kadyrov of personal involvement in repression, torture and extra-judicial killings.

"We consider these sanctions to be illegal, we consider them unfriendly, we disagree with them," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Asked whether Moscow will respond to the move, Peskov said: "With some certainty, we can assume that the principle of reciprocity will be observed."

He did not provide further details.

The Russian foreign ministry struck a similar note.

"This all looks very grotesque because it is not rooted in reality," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"These steps will lead to reciprocal measures," she added.

"It is sad that a number of groups in the United States still have an obvious desire to pursue the path of destroying bilateral ties."

Kadyrov, 41, is one of the most prominent Russian officials to be added to the sanctions under the Magnitsky Act.

A former rebel turned Putin loyalist, Kadyrov has his own militia army and rules with an iron grip the North Caucasus region that was the scene of two separatist wars.

Critics have accused him of amassing vast personal wealth and abusing his political post.

The new penalties, which also target other Russian officials, expose the difficulty of a rapprochement between Washington and Moscow expected by many since US President Donald Trump's election last year.

Relations between the two former Cold War adversaries hit a new low following a US investigation into accusations of Russian interference during the 2016 US presidential election and suspicion of a possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's campaign team.

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Dec 21 Launching a new sanctions regime targeting human rights abusers worldwide, the US today slapped sanctions against 14 individuals, including a Pakistani surgeon and a top Myanmar general, who is accused of leading an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

Maung Maung Soe, in his former role as the chief of Burmese Army's Western command, oversaw the military operation in the Rakhine State responsible for widespread human rights abuse against Rohingya civilians in response to attacks by the Rohingya militants, the Department of Treasury said.

Rawalpindi-based Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah specialised in kidney transplants who police believe to be involved in kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and the removal of and trafficking in human organs, the Treasury said.

As an owner of the Kidney Centre in Rawalpindi, Shah was involved in the kidnapping and detention of, and removal of kidneys from, Pakistani laborers, it added.

Ahead of the sanctions, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order today declaring a national emergency with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world and providing for the imposition of sanctions on actors engaged in these malign activities.

As a result of this, all of the assets within US jurisdiction of the individuals and entities included in the Annex to the Order or designated by OFAC are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

"Today, the US is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the US financial system.

"Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts they’ve committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds," said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T Mnuchin.

These actions advance American values and promote the security of the United States, allies, and partners, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

"We must lead by example, and today’s announcement of sanctions demonstrates the US will continue to pursue tangible and significant consequences for those who commit serious human rights abuse and engage in corruption," he said.

The sanctions list includes Yahya Jammeh (Jammeh), former president of Gambia; Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes, president of Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council; Dan Gertler, an international businessman, and Slobodan Tesic, who is among the biggest dealers of arms and munitions in the Balkans.

Benjamin Bol Mel (Bol Mel), president of ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Company Limited; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of former Uzbekistan leader Islam Karimov; Angel Rondon Rijo, a politically connected businessman in the Dominican Republic; Artem Chayka, son of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation; Gao Yan, who was the Beijing Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch director; Sergey Kusiuk, commander of an elite Ukrainian police unit, the Berkut; Julio Antonio Juarez Ramirez, a Guatemalan Congressman and Yankuba Badjie from Gambia have also been sapped sanctions with.