Posted by
Cristy Li on Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:37:10 PM
Jeanette Runyon, a Mother, Wife and Conservative American Journalist went to the Ukraine to provide a better life for a child in the United States.
The new born girl was delivered just before Jeanette arrived into the Ukraine by a Surrogate Mother who signed away all the rights of the child so that Jeanette could provide for a new and better life for the new born. Surrogacy is legal in the Ukraine and upon delivery of the child, a birth certificate was issued with Jeanette's husband's name listed as the father.
Once the new born was discharged from the Hospital, Jeanette went to the United States Consulate in Kiev, authorities at the U.S. Consulate accused Jeanette of having a fraudulent birth certificate for her new born and Jeanette was detained for Trafficking in Children and her new born was taken from her.
The U.S. Consulate called the Ukrainian Police and Jeanette was subsequently arrested and her nightmare began, initially detained without food or water in a dimly lit cell for 3 days, later being moved to a closet with only a peep hole.
While Jeanette was released from detention with $100.00 all of her credit cards were seized along with her Wedding Ring, Cell Phone and Computer. On Friday, Jeanette will be formally charged with Trafficking in Persons, if convicted this American Journalist faces up to 15 years in prison.
The U.S. State Department has refused to intervene.
Children are the hope for our future, Jeanette's only crime was that she wanted to provide a better life for a child in the United States. Now falsely accused of a crime, Jeanette who attempted to do something very honorable and decent is facing prison time in the Ukraine where according to Amnesty International, prisons conditions are harsh, cruel, inhumane and degrading. Allegations of torture and abuse of prisoners are common.
No American Citizen deserves the mistreatment and denial of human rights which Jeanette has already endured as a result of false allegations by U.S. Consulate staff which created this continuing nightmare for Jeanette in the former Soviet Republic.