Supreme Court Lets Russian Father Keep Daughter from Ukraine

A man smuggled his daughter to Russia. The Supreme Court allowed Russian citizen Alexey Yermakov not to return his daughter to her mother, who lives in France, reports Kommersant.

Consensus

• The Russian Supreme Court ruled in favor of Alexey Ermakov, a Russian citizen, in a dispute over the custody of his daughter.
• The daughter was living with her mother, Veronika Tishkova, a Ukrainian citizen, in France.
• Alexey Ermakov took the child to Russia without the mother's consent.
• The child was granted Russian citizenship during the legal proceedings.
• The Russian Supreme Court stated that returning the child to France would pose a risk to her well-being.
• The court cited France as a 'hostile state' that is a member of NATO and the EU.
• The mother filed an appeal, which is currently being reviewed by the Presidium of the Russian Supreme Court.
• Lower courts in Russia had previously ruled that the child should be returned to France.

Points of divergence

• The father allegedly 'deceived' the court by claiming a two-week trip to Turkey and Slovakia, but instead took the child to Russia. — tvrain
• The father obtained consent from the mother for the child's permanent residence in France in April 2024. — meduza
• The Russian Supreme Court referenced Article of the Hague Convention allowing refusal of return if there is a serious risk of harm to the child. — meduza
• The French lawyer representing the mother stated that the Supreme Court 'placed its own political understanding above the existing legal norm.' — theinsider
• The French lawyer stated that courts may now prioritize Russian citizenship over other circumstances in transnational family disputes. — vesti
• The father's lawyer claimed the court's position aligns with international approaches. — meduza
• A separate case involving a U.S. citizen attempting to illegally transfer a child across the Russian border was mentioned, though it is unrelated to the main case. — vm

Coverage (10 sources)

• Russian courts encourage one parent to kidnap children, citing danger of 'hostile countries' — lawyer — The Insider
• Supreme Court allowed father not to return child to mother in "hostile" France. Man took daughter by deception — Новая газета Европа
• Supreme Court sided with Russian man in dispute with Ukrainian woman over daughter — РИАМО
• Supreme Court of the Russian Federation allowed a Russian not to return his daughter to Ukraine in France — ЭХО / Новости
• Supreme Court of Russia allowed Russian to not return child to mother living in France, citing that it is 'unfriendly' — The Insider
• Supreme Court allowed Russian to not return child to mother in "hostile state" France. Man smuggled... — Дождь (Telegram)
• Armed Forces allowed father not to return daughter to mother living in 'hostile country' — Вечерняя Москва
• Supreme Court supported father in custody dispute over child — Вести
• Russian man allowed to keep daughter with him because her mother lives in a NATO country — Новости Москвы
• Supreme Court allowed Russian to not return child to mother in France. Among judges' arguments — this is a 'hostile' country — Meduza

Key entities

• France
• Russia
• Supreme Court
• Aleksey Yermakov
• Ukraine
• Veronika Tishkova
• Commerzant
• VS
• NATO
• Kyiv
• European Union
• Moscow
• Kommersant
• EU
• Yulia Ivanko Russian

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