Russian parliament supports US adoption ban
Bill that would ban Americans from adopting Russian children comes after US passed law targeting Russians over abuses.
Last Modified: 19 Dec 2012 17:10

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Nearly a third of Russian children adopted by foreign families in 2011 were adopted by Americans [Reuters]
Russia’s parliament has given overwhelming preliminary approval to a measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children.

The bill, which came in retaliation for a US measure that punishes Russia for its rights record under President Vladimir Putin, was approved by 400 legislators in the 450-seat chamber on Wednesday.

The measure bans adoption of Russian children by US families, ends the bilateral adoption agreement between the two countries, and forbids US adoption agencies from working in Russia.

US legislators last week adopted a law allowing sanctions on Russians allegedly involved in the 2009 prison death of anti-corruption whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky.

Magnitsky was arrested by the officials he accused of a $240m tax fraud. He was repeatedly denied medical treatment before he died in jail. Russian rights groups have accused the Kremlin of failing to prosecute those responsible.

The Russian legislation is expected to be approved in a final reading by the State Duma on Friday, followed by the upper house of parliament and then needs to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

‘Eye-for-an-eye logic’

Russian resentment over US adoptions is fanned by cases of abuse or deaths of Russian children adopted by Americans.

The anger hit the boiling point in 2010 when an American woman sent back a 7-year-old Russian boy she had adopted, saying he had behavioural problems and she did not want him anymore.

Defending the adoption ban, Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Duma’s foreign relations committee, said: “Cases of the death of our children in the United States continue, and cases of not-guilty verdicts; we decided to take this tough decision to deprive Americans of the right to adopt Russian children.’

Several political heavyweights opposed the bill, including Education Minister Dmitry Livanov, who said an “eye-for-an-eye logic” would put at risk children who fail to find adoptive parents in Russia.

Of the 3,400 Russian children adopted by foreign families in 2011, 956 – nearly a third – were adopted by Americans, according to official figures.Eighty-nine of those adopted were disabled children.

Although Russian adoptions have declined over the past five years due to increased regulations, Russia is still the third largest source of adoptions for the US.

There are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia, according to UNICEF.

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Malam Mukailu Naibi of Keke Village, Kaduna, whose wife allegedly starved him of s*x for two years, on Wednesday demanded N1,2 million as compensation from the wife’s parents before an Abuja Area Court.

Naibi, while testifying at the resumed hearing of the case, told the court that the amount covered the bride price he paid before marrying Maryam, his wife.

He also told the court that the amount covered the cost of damages done to the house after Maryam allegedly set the house on fire before fleeing to court to seek divorce.

He tendered written documents with records of all expenses made on his estranged wife and her parents, in addition to a witness to testify in his favour.

Naibi, aged 37, had told the court that his wife had refused to make love to him since they got married two years ago.

He also accused her of setting their house on fire.

“Your Worship, since we got married two years ago, my wife never allowed me to make love to her for once and all my attempts to do it always led to fighting.

“I married her out of love and I still love her, but with this development, I have no choice but to ask the court to grant her divorce wish for the sake of peace,” Naibi said.

In her testimony, Maryam, who is 16, told the court that her husband made love to her once, but that she was not impressed and so she wanted a divorce.

“I don’t love him, I don’t love anybody who bears his name and I hate anybody who loves him,” she told the court.

Maryam’s mother who was her only witness, while having denied most of Naibi’s claims, still admitted some, saying that Maryam’s father was in a better position to clarify some issues.

The Judge, Haruna Masanawa, after hearing all the submissions of the parties in the case, ordered the court’s registrar to summons more witnesses, including Maryam’s father.
He adjourned the case to Jan. 16, 2013 for further hearing.