Russian Ombudswoman Says Works With Foreign Ministry On Return Of 115 Children From Iraq

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2018) Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Anna Kuznetsova said Wednesday that she is in cooperation with Russia's Foreign Ministry planning the return of 115 children of Russian women� convicted in Iraq over cooperation with the Islamic State, banned in Russia.

"As all children have been confirmed to have kinship with the Russian citizens, it gives an opportunity to continue paperwork on their return to Russia ... Draft statements of women in an Iraqi prison seeking temporary care of their relatives over their children until their parents' return have been prepared and submitted to the Russian Foreign Ministry," Kuznetsova told the Kommersant newspaper.

The ombudswoman noted that 55 out of 115 children are less than four years old.

The process of the return of Russian women and children from Iraq and Syria was launched after the RT broadcaster filmed in August 2017 a Baghdad orphanage housing Russian children, whose parents smuggled them from the country and joined terrorists. Since then about 100 women and children have already returned back to Russia with the assistance of the Chechen authorities.