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Duma may ban adoptions by foreign same sex couples

On June 13, State Duma is to hold an expanded session of the Committee for family, women and children affairs, where norms barring these adoptions will be discussed
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, June 10 (Itar-Tass) - Russia may tighten consular control over the fate of Russian orphans adopted into the countries where same-sex marriages were legalized, State Duma lower house’s vice speaker Sergei Neverov told reporters on Monday.

Neverov, who leads the working group for adoptions, said the group expresses “concern over a tendency towards legalizing same-sex marriages in some countries and a danger that Russian orphans may be adopted by foreign same-sex couples”.

“That is why we believe it is correct to continue work on updating legislation in that sphere,” he informed. He said additional measures are discussed “to tighten consular control over the fate of the children already adopted into the countries that recognize same-sex marriages”.

The State Duma lower house of parliament may already next week pass an amendment to the Russian legislation, imposing a ban on the adoption of Russian children by foreign same sex couples, speaker Sergei Naryshkin also said on Monday.

He said he had warned the French side during a visit to France that if same-sex marriages were legalized, Russia would take measures to ban adoptions into these families. On June 13, State Duma is expected to hold an expanded session of the committee for family, women and children affairs, where norms barring these adoptions will be discussed. At the present time, 14 countries of the world allow same-sex marriages. France became the last for the moment on this list after on May 18, French President Francois Holland signed the law legalizing same-sex marriages and allowing these couples to adopt children.

With this in view, Russia that has a treaty on adoptions with France, may consider rescinding it, spokeswoman of the Duma committee for family affairs, Yelena Mizulina from the A Just Russia Party, believes.