Several protesters were detained outside the upper chamber of Russia's parliament Wednesday as lawmakers unanimously voted in favor of a controversial bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children. The bill will now go to President Vladimir Putin for him to sign or turn down. The legislation is one part of a larger measure by Russian lawmakers retaliating against a recently signed U.S. law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Critics of the bill say it victimizes orphans by depriving them of an opportunity to escape Russian orphanages. However, Russian lawmakers argue that the bill would protect children and encourage adoption within Russia. The bill is named in honor of Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler who was adopted by Americans in 2008 and died after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. The father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
