Russia’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has severely undercut its credibility on human rights. Human rights observers allege that Moscow has killed at least 18,000 Syrian civilians in targeted airstrikes and has covered up Assad’s chemical weapons use on his own population. These allegations prevented Russia from being reelected to the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2016 and continue to tarnish Moscow’s international reputation.
In response, Russia has been emphasizing that its foreign policy has a moral character and that it values human rights. In late 2017, Putin praised Moscow’s efforts to repatriate the children of ISIS fighters as “honorable and correct,” as they were not responsible for their parents’ crimes. Alexander Bortnikov, chairman of Russia’s internal security agency, the FSB, reinforced Putin’s moral case when he argued that by bringing home the children of ISIS fighters in Syria, Russia prevents them from becoming suicide bombers or terrorist recruiters. In particular, the Russian government has argued that these children can be reintegrated into Russian society and has facilitated their adoption by foster parents who encourage these children to denounce extremism.
Journalists and human rights experts have praised Russia for its repatriation policy.
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