Russian region seeks to ban ‘inducement to abortion’ to combat ‘alien values’

The State Assembly of the Russian republic of Mari El in the Volga region has published a draft of a bill it has begun debating on a ban on “inducement to abortion”, independent news channel 7x7 said Friday.

An explanatory note to the bill said it was required to combat “the spread of destructive ideologies”, “the growth of selfishness” and “immorality”.

The bill, introduced by Communist Party deputies on 14 November, said a ban would eliminate any “threat to the family, fatherhood, motherhood and childhood” and “prevent the imposition of a system of ideas and values alien to the Russian people and destructive for society”.

The lawmakers understand “inducement to abortion” as actions made to force a woman to terminate her pregnancy “by means of persuasion … bribery, deceit, and blackmail”.

The Mari El bill doesn’t specify the proposed penalties for breaches of the law. In a similar law passed by the Primorsky region in Russia’s Far East in September, the fines for inducing abortion were up to 5,000 rubles (€47) for individuals and up to 400,000 rubles (€3,730) for legal entities. There are now similar bans in place in 13 Russian regions, 7x7 said.

Women who have abortions “are taking a swing at humanity” and “God’s mission on earth,” Russian State Duma member Alexander Iltyakov from the ruling United Russia party said in an interview with state-affiliated news outlet Gazeta.ru on Tuesday. “What if you killed the future Russian president in your womb?” Iltyakov wondered.