Russia may treat child adoption for cash as trafficking

January 23, 2013 / RIA Novosti

Moscow: Adoption of children involving payments will be considered by Russia as trafficking, according to a new bill debated in parliament.

Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov revealed Wednesday: "If the legislature is approved, cases of child adoption and of taking them under guardianship or patronage for money will be subject to this new law."

The Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, was debating the bill aimed at combating child trafficking and slavery as well as child prostitution and pornography.

The new bill under discussion in the State Duma proposes a fine of up to one million rubles (over $33,000) for the organization of child slavery and trafficking and distribution of child pornography.

According to data from the Unicef around 1.2 million children annually are victims of child trafficking, the minister said.