MOSCOW, January 9 (RIA Novosti) - Defendants in a criminal case on alleged bribery in the adoption of Russian children by foreigners have appealed their sentences, Russia's Supreme Court said Tuesday.
"The defendants have asked a higher court to drop the charges against them for lack of any criminality," a court spokesman said.
He said the appeal hearing on the so-called Fratti case will be held January 10.
A regional court found Nadezhda Fratti, now an Italian citizen, guilty of bribing officials and forging documents, and gave her a four-year suspended sentence.
Tatyana Chaplina, former director of the Kirov orphanage, received a five-year suspended sentence, while Antonina Tekucheva, chief doctor at the orphanage, was given a three-year suspended sentence.
