Moscow Vows to Appeal ECHR Ruling on Russian Adoption Ban for US Citizens

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) disregarded the arguments of the Russian side when ruling on Tuesday that Moscow's adoption ban had resulted in the unlawful discrimination of prospective parents, Russian Foreign Ministry Special Representative for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Konstantin Dolgov said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled earlier on Tuesday that Moscow's ban preventing US citizens from adopting children in Russia has resulted in the unlawful discrimination of prospective parents.

"We will certainly appeal the decision… The court has not taken into account the arguments of the Russian authorities, and, unfortunately, decided in favor of the plaintiffs disregarding the real state of affairs. And of course, this ruling is unsatisfactory," Dolgov told RIA Novosti.

In late 2012, the Russian parliament approved legislation dubbed the Dima Yakovlev law, which imposed a ban on the adoption of Russian children by US nationals, among other provisions. The law is named after a Russian toddler who died of heatstroke in 2008 after his adoptive US father left him in a car in the sun for nine hours.