Social services of New Zealand to return infant to Russian parents - Astakhov
MOSCOW. April 22 (Interfax) - Social services of New Zealand have agreed to return a 6-week girl to her Russian parents, Russian children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said.
"The social services of New Zealand agreed to return 6-week old Polina to her parents as soon as a pledge is legalized. The girl is to live with her family," Astakhov tweeted.
The Russian official said that the baby would be returned to her parents "under the relatives' pledge."
Astakhov has just said that the 6-week old girl had been taken away from her Russian parents. Astakhov said that he had sent statements to the Russian foreign minister, the Russian ambassador in New Zealand and Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key with a request to clarify the situation.
Astakhov said that taking the girl away from her parents "should be recognized as a groundless cruel action of social protection contradicting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child."