Russian House backs Bill barring adoption of children by Americans
27 Dec 2012 6:34 AM IST
Russia's upper house of Parliament on Wednesday unanimously backed a bill barring Americans from adopting Russian children, leaving the controversial measure in the hands of President Vladimir Putin.
The rubber-stamp vote was the last legislative hurdle for a bill representing one of the toughest pieces of anti-US legislation to emerge during Putin's 13 years in power. Putin has expressed understanding for the measure - drafted in retaliation for a new law sanctioning Russian officials implicated in the prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 - but has not yet explicitly vowed to sign it.
The bill has already passed the three required readings in the State Duma lower house despite protests from rights advocates and the even the Russian foreign ministry.
The Federation Council upper chamber - comprised exclusively of Putin allies and ruling party members - passed the measure in a 143-0 vote taken after speakers took turns slamming US policies toward Russia. ‘I believe that any foreign adoption is detrimental to our country,’ children's rights commissioner Pavel Astakhov said after the vote.
‘A country as great as Russia should not be selling its children,’ said Astakhov. Putin's spokesman strongly defended the draft on Tuesday against critics who accuse it of infringing on both rights and an existing adoption treaty with Washington.
‘Russia is fully implementing the rights it has under international law,’ Dmitry Peskov said.
The bill also includes a provision banning Russian political organisations that receive US funding.
The White House said Tuesday it intended to raise concerns with both parts of the legislation at future meetings with Russian officials - a sign that existing tensions with Moscow over the
Syria crisis were only set to rise.
The rubber-stamp vote was the last legislative hurdle for a bill representing one of the toughest pieces of anti-US legislation to emerge during Putin's 13 years in power. Putin has expressed understanding for the measure - drafted in retaliation for a new law sanctioning Russian officials implicated in the prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 - but has not yet explicitly vowed to sign it.
The bill has already passed the three required readings in the State Duma lower house despite protests from rights advocates and the even the Russian foreign ministry.
The Federation Council upper chamber - comprised exclusively of Putin allies and ruling party members - passed the measure in a 143-0 vote taken after speakers took turns slamming US policies toward Russia. ‘I believe that any foreign adoption is detrimental to our country,’ children's rights commissioner Pavel Astakhov said after the vote.
‘A country as great as Russia should not be selling its children,’ said Astakhov. Putin's spokesman strongly defended the draft on Tuesday against critics who accuse it of infringing on both rights and an existing adoption treaty with Washington.
‘Russia is fully implementing the rights it has under international law,’ Dmitry Peskov said.
The bill also includes a provision banning Russian political organisations that receive US funding.
The White House said Tuesday it intended to raise concerns with both parts of the legislation at future meetings with Russian officials - a sign that existing tensions with Moscow over the
Syria crisis were only set to rise.
Next Story
