December 6 US Senate spent voting on the law on the normalization of trade relations with Russia and Moldova, of which "Magnitsky law" (HR6156 Russia and Moldova) and the Magnitsky Rule of Law and the Magnitsky Act of Accountability. 2012 senator voted for this law, 92 voted against. The same decision abolished the Jackson-Vanik amendment in respect of Russia.
Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin stated during the discussion:
“It has now become clear that violators of human rights can no longer visit the United States and use our banking system. This law creates an international precedent. ”
And the famous Republican senator John McCain, a veteran of the Vietnamese war, spoke:
“I am sure that this is not an anti-Russian, but a pro-Russian law. This law was adopted in the interests of the people of Russia, which deserves a much better share. ”
Finally, Mr. Obama said that America will continue to work on building democracy in Russia:
"My administration will continue to work with the Congress and our partners in supporting those who work for a free and democratic future for Russia, who support the rule of law and respect for human rights throughout the world."
Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also not silent.
Russia, in response to the “Magnitsky law”, will close the entry to the Americans, who are really guilty of human rights violations, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. is he noticed:
"At the meeting with Clinton, I confirmed that we will also close the entry to the Americans, who are really guilty of violating human rights."
Earlier on the Russian response to the Americans claimed Head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexei Pushkov:
"In response to the so-called hard version of the" Magnitsky law, "which was adopted by the US Senate, Russia at the legislative level can also respond by adopting the relevant law."
According to him, two versions of the document are possible. The first option is the adoption of amendments to the already existing law “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation”, restricting the entry of foreign citizens to Russia, including US citizens who are found to violate the rights of Russian citizens abroad. “These amendments were formulated last June and made by representatives of all factions. Currently they are on the committee on constitutional legislation and state construction, ”he recalled. Pushkov also noted that "under these amendments, the accounts of these persons in Russian banks and their foreign branches can also be arrested, and an embargo on their transactions with property and investments can be imposed."
The second option is to expand the scope of this bill and extend it to those US citizens who participated in massive and established violations of human rights outside the United States, namely in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and other countries. Pushkov also mentioned the US military base in Guantanamo (Cuba), the secret prisons of the CIA in Europe and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Pushkov, however, did not specify what to do with the arrival in Russia of Barack Obama, who was recently invited by Comrade Putin. After all, if you start a scary list with someone, so be it. He did not close the prison at Guantanamo, although he promised to do this before the 2008 elections of the year, and Mr. Libyan president pushed into Libya without asking permission from Congress.
The head of the Duma committee and the minister promised - and they did. Our, you know, words to the wind do not throw. True, our lawmakers came to the problem from the other end.
December 21 with. The Russian Duma adopted in the third reading "The law of Dima Yakovlev," he is "anti-magnetic." This document prohibits the adoption of Russian children by citizens of the United States, and at the same time tightens the requirements for the so-called. "Political" non-profit organizations. "The law of Dima Yakovlev" was adopted by our hot heads almost unanimously: "for" - 420 deputies, "against" - 8, abstained - 1. This week, the “anti-magnetic law” will be considered by the Federation Council. And there is a deal signed by the president.
Negative responses to this event both from the West and from Russia followed.
Approval of the “law of Dima Yakovlev” by the so-called “representatives of the people” from the State Duma, “trained over 12 years to give the Kremlin’s wishes the legal framework” пишет Elke Windisch of the German edition of Tagesspiegel, turned not only Russian human rights activists and progressive intellectuals, but also high-ranking officials and the media against the deputies and Vladimir Putin.
As a response to this maxim, we can cite the words of S. Lavrov, told to 22 journalists in December and published in "Forbes Russia":
“If you think that the State Duma is somehow independent in its actions, you are mistaken. There really exists an opinion that has prevailed at the moment. Don't ask why. ”
Meanwhile, Comrade Lavrov himself, as reported by the same journal, twice opposed the ban. In his opinion, such a law denounces the “Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of International Adoption,” signed by Russia and the United States, and will deprive us of consular access to children who have already been adopted.
In an interview with the TV channel “Euronews”, which appeared on the site of the Foreign Ministry 20 December, S. Lavrov сказал:
“I don’t think we should prohibit American families adopting Russian children.”
And earlier, on December 18, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said:
"This is wrong, and I am sure that in the end the State Duma will make an informed decision."
The Minister of Education Dmitry Livanov and Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets also spoke out against the amendments.
As for President Putin, he supported the idea of banning Americans from adopting Russian children.
During the big December 20 press conference, Vladimir Putin saidthat the answer of the State Duma deputies to the “Magnitsky Act” adopted in the USA is emotional, but adequate:
"I understand that this is such an emotional response from the State Duma, but I think that it is adequate."
According to the Russian president, the adoption in the US of the “Magnitsky Act” is “an outrageous thing, not provoked by us from anything”. Comrade Putin stressed:
“The point is absolutely not in the officials, but in the fact that one anti-Russian law was replaced by another. Can not (US) without it. Everyone is trying to stay in the past. This is very bad".
As V. Putin noted, “we need to stimulate the transfer to the families of our children left without parents.”
The president added that the law prohibiting adoption is not a reaction to the activities of adopters from the United States, but to the position of the American authorities who do not react to the violation of the rights of children adopted in Russia.
The Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC) decided to ask the Federation Council not to approve the “anti-magnetic law”. And the stumbling block was just the point prohibiting the adoption of Russian orphans by Americans. About it said December 24 head of the HRC Mikhail Fedotov, promising to make and send to the Federation Council an appropriate conclusion.
From the “anti-magnet law”, in his opinion, it is necessary to remove the “unacceptable amendments” - a ban on the adoption of Russian children by Americans:
“Many ethical and legal arguments are pushing us towards this ... Article 6 of the Russian law states that it applies to citizens of states that will pass laws similar to the Magnitsky Act. It turns out that if, for example, France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom support the American initiative, then automatically Russian orphans cannot be adopted by citizens of these countries. But after all, with respect to these countries, we have never had any complaints regarding the care of children. It turns out that the children, our children, are a bargaining chip in political games. According to the Council, this is unacceptable. ”
The West immediately spotted such a contradictory reaction to the Russian “top” - no, do not think, not a manifestation of the consciousness and will of civil society - but ... a split of the elite. For example, Artem Krechetnikov ("BBC") calls the controversy about the new bill the second December event, which testifies "to the deepening of disagreements within the Russian ruling class." And the first event is the “Serdyukov affair”.
By the way, the editorial board of Novaya Gazeta - also quite in the spirit of a developed civil society - was able to assemble and transfer to parliamentarians more than 100 thousands of signatures of citizens who were sent, so let me put it this way, readers, against the law against the law.
And State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, before voting on the bill in the third reading, asked Vladimir Pligin, chairman of the committee on constitutional legislation and state-building, to consider citizens' appeals and inform deputies.
So the game in the spirit of the Cold War has begun. The positive decision of the State Duma was immediately followed by a new negative move by the American side. This time - unofficial. Citizens joined the senators and the government.
The activists decided that it was time for the authorities of the country to add to the “Magnitsky list”, which is very convenient because it can infinitely be corrected and supplemented, by those Russian parliamentarians who supported “the law of Dima Yakovlev”. It can be noted that, with few exceptions, if only the White House wishes to react to the petition on the e-government website, the entire composition of the State Duma of Russia will be included in the sanctions list.
Petition text reads:
"We, the undersigned,
- we recognize the adoption of the “Sergey Magnitsky Act” from 2012 of the year ... a deeply pro-Russian step that will help Russian citizens to bring to justice those involved in corruption and human rights violations;
- outraged by the actions of the Russian legislators, who overstepped all imaginable boundaries of humanity, responsibility or common sense and decided to endanger the lives and well-being of thousands of Russian orphans, some of whom are sick and disabled, can now lose their chances of survival if intercountry adoption will take effect;
- we urge the administration (USA) to identify the persons who participated in the adoption of the legislative act of the persons and determine the responsibility towards them in accordance with the “Magnitsky Law”, that is, include them in the appropriate list ”.
- we recognize the adoption of the “Sergey Magnitsky Act” from 2012 of the year ... a deeply pro-Russian step that will help Russian citizens to bring to justice those involved in corruption and human rights violations;
- outraged by the actions of the Russian legislators, who overstepped all imaginable boundaries of humanity, responsibility or common sense and decided to endanger the lives and well-being of thousands of Russian orphans, some of whom are sick and disabled, can now lose their chances of survival if intercountry adoption will take effect;
- we urge the administration (USA) to identify the persons who participated in the adoption of the legislative act of the persons and determine the responsibility towards them in accordance with the “Magnitsky Law”, that is, include them in the appropriate list ”.
The number of signatures on the petition is growing rapidly; it exceeded 50 thousands. For the White House administration to respond to the petition, it must collect at least 25.000 votes. Thus, Barack Obama will have to give citizens some kind of answer. By the way, the document was signed not by John, Mary and Jacob, but more and more by Paul, Grigorii, Ivan, Michael, Andrei, Alexandra, Evgenii and other Yurii.
Another petition on the same site of “electronic government”, also signed by Russian names, urges The White House to recognize "the law of Dima Yakovlev" "inhumane":
“To recognize“ the law of Dima Yakovlev ”(186614-6) as harmful and inhuman, to expand the“ Magnitsky act ”by listing its supporters in the Russian Duma.
21 December 2012, the Russian Duma adopted the Federal Law 186614-6, which prohibits the adoption of Russian orphans in the United States, and also deprives Russian human rights defenders of the opportunity to cooperate with their American colleagues.
This law was prepared in response to the “Magnitsky Act”, and was preceded by a smear campaign against the rehabilitation of orphans and the protection of human rights in the world.
We urge our political leaders to at least speak out against this, primarily anti-humane, act and make it clear that acts of ideological revenge have no place on the international political arena.
We also ask that the “Magnitsky Act” be extended to supporters of this law in the Russian Duma. ”
21 December 2012, the Russian Duma adopted the Federal Law 186614-6, which prohibits the adoption of Russian orphans in the United States, and also deprives Russian human rights defenders of the opportunity to cooperate with their American colleagues.
This law was prepared in response to the “Magnitsky Act”, and was preceded by a smear campaign against the rehabilitation of orphans and the protection of human rights in the world.
We urge our political leaders to at least speak out against this, primarily anti-humane, act and make it clear that acts of ideological revenge have no place on the international political arena.
We also ask that the “Magnitsky Act” be extended to supporters of this law in the Russian Duma. ”
Thus, this petition meaningfully partially duplicates the previous one. The petition gathered more than seven thousand signatures. By the way, the signatories of Russian origin are also noted here: Tatiana, Sergey, Oksana, Vadim, Alexey, Maria, Vera, Mikhail ...
Journalists Interfax summed up the reaction to a variety of civil petitions of the Russian side.
This reaction was, it must be noted preparing to respond to America’s response preparation.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, first deputy foreign affairs committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, believes that the idea of including State Duma deputies in the “Magnitsky list” will not remain without Moscow’s response:
“The reaction to this idea can only be negative. If this really comes to that, then a symmetrical answer will follow. ”
And the head of the Duma’s international affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, sees no legal grounds for Washington to satisfy the petition request:
“The administration of the President of the United States has no legal grounds for satisfying the demand of this petition, since the“ Magnitsky Act ”adopted by the Americans does not imply any sanctions in response to the ban on adopting Russian orphans by Americans.”
Pushkov also noted that relations between Moscow and Washington could become seriously complicated, “if under some other pretext the White House decides to include State Duma deputies in the so-called Magnitsky list.”
Human rights activist Lyudmila Alekseeva, of course, supports the American civil initiative:
“We have a cannibalistic law. Our deputies have already turned out to get into the “Magnitsky Act”, and they understand that. ”
Head of the HRC Mikhail Fedotov saidthat he considers harmful the initiative in the US to include in the American “black list” Russian deputies who voted for the “anti-magnetic law”:
“There is no need to increase confrontation. We must not inflate anti-American and anti-Russian hysteria, but stop in time and take a half step back. ”
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Construction Dmitry Vyatkin считаетthat the American side is making efforts to escalate tensions between the two countries:
“If they establish restrictions on the entry of State Duma deputies or members of the Council of the Federation, it means that the ban on entry (in the Russian Federation) of members of Congress will be the retaliatory step. This scandal is very, very serious, and most importantly - it is absolutely meaningless. From their side, it’s such a safe cold war, and it’s nothing good in a relationship. ”
Musician A. Makarevich wrote V. Putin is a new open letter:
“... Yes, it is unpleasant when they try to humiliate your country. Yes, it is a shame that this country today is not able to solve the problem of orphans. But you know perfectly well that according to the agreement, the Americans could adopt only those children who our citizens refused to adopt. And you know why - we are talking about children with severe hereditary diseases (I doubt that the overwhelming majority of Russians, who, as you said, support the Duma law, know about this). Today our country cannot cure these children. America can. By its decree, the Duma practically deprives these children of the right to life. Children's lives - an unacceptable exchangeable card in political games.
Yes, of course we must deal with this problem ourselves. And a long time ago. But from the beautiful words spoken from the podium, nothing will change tomorrow, and you also understand this very well - there are no miracles. Stimulate adoptive parents with money? For money, the love of a sick child can not be bought.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, hundreds of sick children will most likely die due to this law. Their deaths will be a grave sin on the souls of the deputies who voted “for” (if they still have souls left). And to your soul, Vladimir Vladimirovich ... "
Yes, of course we must deal with this problem ourselves. And a long time ago. But from the beautiful words spoken from the podium, nothing will change tomorrow, and you also understand this very well - there are no miracles. Stimulate adoptive parents with money? For money, the love of a sick child can not be bought.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, hundreds of sick children will most likely die due to this law. Their deaths will be a grave sin on the souls of the deputies who voted “for” (if they still have souls left). And to your soul, Vladimir Vladimirovich ... "
Mikhail Prokhorov, who probably could not miss the chance to raise a sluggish political rating, came up with a business initiative. Businessman He pledged to encourage 50 thousands of dollars in every family that adopted a child who will suffer after the adoption of the “law of Dima Yakovlev”. The monetary decision was made at a meeting of the governing body of the Civil Platform Party. According to Prokhorov himself, we are talking about 46 Russian orphans.
"We are ready to allocate for 50 thousands of dollars to each family that will take this child," Prokhorov said during a party press conference.
He called the reaction of the deputies to the adoption of the “Magnitsky Act” in the USA “absolutely immoral,” but he noted that it was not too late to find a “reasonable compromise”.
Learning about the Russian preparation for the next response, American activists immediately wrote A new petition: on the introduction of V. V. Putin into the “Magnitsky list”.
Her текст can serve as an illustration to the aphorism "Brevity - the sister of talent":
“Add Putin to Magnitsky’s list if he supports the“ anti-magnetic law. ”
The Russian President will consider the “anti-magnetic act” after approval by the Federation Council.
We want Mr. Obama to impose sanctions on Mr. Putin if he signs this law. ”
The Russian President will consider the “anti-magnetic act” after approval by the Federation Council.
We want Mr. Obama to impose sanctions on Mr. Putin if he signs this law. ”
Among the signatories, approximately as in the previous petition, appear Stanislav, Nikolay, Elena, Yuri, Valery and Ivan. Not only here noted someone “Putin Hui P” (signed # 8207, or Signature # 8,207). Also under the document is the signature of Mr. F. Pupkin (pupkin F, perdjzevka). Total signatures - more than eight thousand, their number is growing rapidly.
Thus, when signing all three petitions, either Russian émigrés, residents of the United States, or mischievous from Russia, the great enemies of comrade Putin, are active. Thanks to their signatures, we will soon find out how many such enemies there are. Comrade Putin will also recognize this ...
They are also found under petitions of signatures from “truth-bearers”, who were shy of stating their name.
It is highly doubtful that the White House began to consider such “expressions of will” as something serious.
The appearance of all sorts of "anti-magnetic" petitions of our legislators will not frighten. The Federation Council said that the appearance of a petition on the US e-government site would not affect their decision on the "anti-magnetic law." Russian senators will begin its consideration on December 26.
Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Svetlana Orlova says:
“Do not scare us, no one is afraid. We will vote according to truth and conscience and support this law ... Bargaining with Russia is inappropriate, we are not in the first grade of school, we are for the protection of the rights of our citizens abroad. Let them include us wherever they want, but the whole world has already outgrown it. ”
Pavel Astakhov, authorized by the President of the Russian Federation on the rights of the child, says that foreign adoption is practiced by the countries of the “third world,” namely, those who cannot feed their children. Among these “third world” countries, he calls China: after all, there exists a direct prohibition on having a family more than one child. America often takes Chinese children.
After China, in second place - Guatemala. So it was until 2009 year. It was from this year that Guatemala refused to give its children to America. What is the reason? The fact is that in 2008, several Guatemalan children were killed in adoptive American families. And Guatemala, says Astakhov, has stopped giving away children to America.
Now in second place on the impact of children in the United States - Ethiopia.
Who is in third place? - Russia…
“There is a persistent myth that foreigners save us because they take sick, unhappy children, they undergo surgery and cure them. People who spread such a myth are either ignorant or directly interested in foreign adoptions going on.
The ignorance lies in the fact that over the past three years (I can answer for this period, which I work as an ombudsman for the President’s children) foreigners have taken in Russia 72% of all children taken out. These are children from 0 to 6 years, absolutely healthy.
If we talk about disabled children, please: 2011 year. The Americans, who in the 2011 year brought almost 1000 children out of Russia, took the disabled child from 44. Is it a lot or a little? This is about 5%. This means that the Russians have adopted for the same year 188 children with disabilities in foster families. That is, even here we see that Russian citizens, it turns out, are taking more disabled children than Americans. ”
The ignorance lies in the fact that over the past three years (I can answer for this period, which I work as an ombudsman for the President’s children) foreigners have taken in Russia 72% of all children taken out. These are children from 0 to 6 years, absolutely healthy.
If we talk about disabled children, please: 2011 year. The Americans, who in the 2011 year brought almost 1000 children out of Russia, took the disabled child from 44. Is it a lot or a little? This is about 5%. This means that the Russians have adopted for the same year 188 children with disabilities in foster families. That is, even here we see that Russian citizens, it turns out, are taking more disabled children than Americans. ”
In Russia, Astakhov notes, today all high-tech operations for orphans are being done - without any queues.
By the way, the official certificate. According to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, US citizens more often than other foreigners adopt children from Russia. Only in 2011 to America set off 956 of 3400 adopted children abroad; total 89 of them are disabled. In all, about 1996 of thousands of Russian children were adopted in the USA since 60 in the USA, 19 of them died, including the fault of their parents.
Russians adopt disabled children three times more, said columnist "But" D. Lyskov than all foreigners combined, and in 6,5 times more than the Americans. The top five leaders in the number of adoptions from Russia: USA, Spain, Italy, France, Germany. In the United States over the past ten years, 19 adopted children died and at least 20 was placed by foster parents in a special closed boarding school. Many children were “assigned” to other families. There are cases of torture, bullying, and sexual abuse. It is in the USA, and it is not in Spain, Italy, France, Germany. And this, the journalist notes, is only information about cases that have reached the court.
About methods of educating difficult children by Americans briefly and clearly сказал Founder of the Institute of Scientific Medicine, psychologist Gene Mercer:
“The idea is that being without parental care brings about rage and anger in the child, and you need to drive them out with rage and anger. Part of the theory is that the child should feel the need. For example, he does not eat well. It is necessary to create conditions when he will need food. Simply put, starve. ”
No one at VO will believe, if you write: Russian conditions are ideal, and this is for Russia, not for America, it's time to gather children from all over the world. Not. This is not the reason for adopting “answers” to laws. But is this a reason to falsify the situation? The United States has long been a standard of "democracy" (I wonder what? Athenian?), Neither a guardian of rights and freedoms, nor - God forbid - an advanced children's educator. And were they? However, yes, they were - in their own hegemonic imagination.
America even in western ratings prosperity and democracy moves down - and soon it will be next door to the very Russia with which it is leading a new cold war.
It is not necessary to link the “Magnitsky Act” and the emigrant-Russian petitions that followed it, which multiplied on the US e-government website, with the “Dima Yakovlev law”. But it’s time to stop living according to the perestroika pattern and to firmly believe in what’s perfect is theirs and bad is ours. Remember: well where we are not? So: we have nothing to do in America. Neither us nor our children. Let them be good, I have nothing against. But - without us.
Observed and translated by Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru