CV NEWS FEED // As Russia grapples with a shrinking population, lawmakers in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk region have advanced a bill that would make it illegal to pressure a woman into having an abortion, according to The Moscow Times.
The proposed legislation, which has cleared its second reading, seeks to impose fines on individuals who use deception, bribery, blackmail, or persistent persuasion to influence a woman’s decision to abort her baby.
Regional prosecutor Roman Tyutyunnik, who proposed the bill, has recommended fines ranging from 3,000 rubles ($34) to 50,000 rubles ($570) for violators.
The measure is part of a broader national shift aimed at reversing Russia’s declining birth rate, which has been exacerbated by an aging population, pandemic-related deaths, emigration, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to the Moscow Times.
If the measure receives final approval, Krasnoyarsk will become the 18th region in Russia to enact such restrictions, reflecting a growing trend toward regional abortion limits even as the federal government avoids an outright ban.
“Our priority is to create a safe environment for families and the value of having many children,” the Krasnoyarsk legislative assembly said.
This initiative comes as Russia sees a dramatic reduction in abortions nationwide. Hundreds of private clinics across 70 regions have stopped committing abortions in what officials have called a “voluntary” initiative supported by the Russian Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church has launched new efforts to encourage pregnant mothers to choose life, including a campaign to send letters highlighting the beauty and dignity of every unborn child.
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