MOSCOW, December 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia-U.S. adoptions agreement will remain effective if representatives of the Russian authorities get access to adopted Russian children in U.S. families, State Duma deputy speaker Sergei Zheleznyak said in a video placed on his Facebook page on Sunday.
“We should be guaranteed an unhampered access to adopted children, opportunities to protect their rights in court and to deprive unscrupulous parents of their adoption rights,” he said.
The deputy head of the United Russia faction in the lower house of parliament stressed the need “for real cooperation in bringing to criminal responsibility those who tortured and killed our children in the United States.”
These measures should be taken by the U.S. during 12 months “that are required to denounce an international agreement unilaterally, if the United States wants to keep it effective,” the parliamentarian said.
“If this is not done, the agreement should be cancelled,” Zheleznyak said.
“Many our citizens, who want to adopt a child, including several people I know, were offered to wait for one more year, being replied that foreigners enjoy the privilege of adoption,” he said.
“Let’s think not about the interests of the United States, but about a child left without parents, who should get a family, and about adoptive parents in Russia, who should get an opportunity to adopt a child without ordeals and bribes,” Zheleznyak said.
On Friday, the lower house of Russian parliament approved in the third and final reading the draft law in response to the United States’ Magnitsky Act banning adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens and called for denouncing the Russian-U.S. agreement in this sphere.
The law was supported by 420 parliamentarians, 7 voted against and one abstained.
The State Duma also approved visa and financial restrictions in relation to persons “who voted for a ban on the entry of Russian citizens to the U.S. and arrest of their assets over their involvement in violation of human rights.”
The Federation Council is expected to consider the draft law on December 26.