Urgent: Numerous Cases of Illegal Adoption of Children by Foreigners Uncovered, NSS

Numerous cases of illegal adoption of children by foreigners have been uncovered. According to the NSS press service, based on obtained factual data, two citizens of the Republic of Armenia organized the adoption of over 30 children who are citizens of Armenia by citizens of the Italian Republic, using their connections in one of the republican maternity facilities, various government agencies in Armenia, and orphanages, in gross violation of Armenian legislation.

For this purpose, a number of officials endowed with administrative functions in the maternity facility, based on preliminary agreements, deliberately and with profit motives, during the period of 2016-2018, coerced over ten women who had applied to a private maternity clinic for pregnancy termination due to social or personal issues. In some cases, they threatened the women with disclosing their pregnancy, exaggerated the newborn’s illness, and psychologically pressured them with false information, persuading them to relinquish their child and agree to the adoption against their will. In certain instances, they did not refrain from receiving bribes from the women in exchange for medical services provided.

After obtaining written consent, the majority of the newborns were transferred to orphanages, accompanied by medical documents. The officials of these institutions, abusing their official powers, violated the prioritization of the right of Armenian citizens to adopt these children by using fictitious diagnoses noted by the maternity clinic in medical documents, indirectly obstructing their adoption by Armenian citizens.

A criminal case has been initiated in the investigative department of the NSS based on the apparent criminal acts, according to relevant articles of the Armenian Criminal Code, and an investigation is underway.