Russia's Children's Rights Commissioner supports `entire civilized world's' fight against abortion

Russia's Children's Rights Commission Anna Kuznetsova said that "the whole civilized world stands in opposition to such a thing as abortion and not for the first [time]," reported news agency TASS on Wednesday.

"[We] believe that the matter requires a systematic approach," said Kuznetsova, adding that Russia has "successful practice[s] for the prevention of abortion." According to the Children's Right Commissioner, experts managed to dissuade 67,000 Russian women from getting abortions last year alone.

"This work should be continued, with an emphasis on protecting traditional family values, [offering] support for mothers [and] families with children, helping young families, and improving the [education] and [promoting] social initiatives in this sphere," said Kuznetsova.

Kuznetsova made her statement after Patriarch Kirill of Moscow signed the anti-abortion petition of organizations Pro-Life and Orthodox Volunteers. Later, a spokesman for the patriarch denied that the Patriarch had signed such a document. Instead, he maintained that the issue in question was the exclusion of abortion from the compulsory health insurance system, although a reference on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate suggests the opposite.

Anna Kuznetsova became Russia's Children's Rights Commissioner in September 2016. Prior to this appointment, she repeatedly spoke out against abortion. Previously, she worked as a pre-abortion psychologist and counselor.