Available in Russian
Author: Anastasiya Iamshanova
DOI: 10.21128/1812-7126-2025-3-76-88
Keywords: embryo; legal status; assisted reproductive technologies; embryo cryopreservation; embryo storage
The development of assisted reproductive technologies has significantly intensified a long-standing and multifaceted dispute concerning the legal and ethical nature of the human embryo. The diversity of perspectives within academic and professional discourse stems from two key factors: the absence of a clear legal definition of embryo status in Russian legislation, and the ethical uncertainty surrounding attempts to categorize the embryo either as a subject or an object within the framework of legal relationships. As part of this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted of current Russian legislation, judicial practice, and doctrinal views expressed by experts in both the legal and medical fields. Particular attention was paid to the actual practice of law enforcement, namely the analysis of civil law contracts for cryopreservation and storage of embryos, which are publicly accessible through the official websites of medical institutions offering ART procedures. The review of relevant court decisions revealed that such contracts are generally recognized by the courts as valid legal instruments. This indicates that they are not seen as violating the fundamental principles of public order or morality, and the courts consistently refer to the contractual terms when making legal decisions in related disputes. The study also explored in detail the grounds for embryo cryopreservation as outlined in these contracts, including financial obligations, the duration of embryo storage, legal grounds for termination of the contract, and liability for breaches of storage conditions. Analysis of courts’ decisions confirmed that Russian courts place significant weight on the specific terms agreed upon by the parties, as well as the distinctive legal and practical features of ART, including the potential use of cryopreserved biological material. During the research, the author came to the conclusion that, in view of current Russian legislation and practice, the human embryo in Russia actually has the status of the legal object limited in turnover with a minimum set of characteristics of the subject of law. This reflects a complex balance between ethical, medical, and legal considerations surrounding the status of embryos.
About the author: Anastasiya Iamshanova – Paralegal, Life Sciences Practice at “Pepelyaev Group”.
Citation:
Iamshanova A. (2025) Analiz dogovora na kriokonservatsiyu kak metod rassmotreniya pravovogo statusa embriona v Rossii [Analysis of the contract for cryopreservation as a method of considering the legal status of the embryo in Russia]. Sravnitel'noe konstitutsionnoe obozrenie, vol.34, no.3, pp.76–88. (In Russian).
References
Afanas'ev I.V., Mashkov A.V. (2022) Status chelovecheskogo embriona v nasledstvennom prave i vytekayushchie iz nego yuridicheskie problemy [The status of the human embryo in inheritance law and legal problems arising from it]. Sovremennoe pravo, no.1, pp.72–78. (In Russian).
Belova D.A. (2019) Pravovaya priroda embriona in vitro [Legal nature of the embryo in vitro]. Lex Russica, no.6, pp.122–130. (In Russian).
Druzhinina Yu.F. (2017) Pravovoy rezhim embriona in vitro [Legal regime of embryo in vitro]. Zhurnal rossiyskogo prava, no.12, pp.129–140. (In Russian).
Eremeeva O.I., Sayfullina N.A. (2016) K voprosu o ponyatii i pravovom polozhenii embriona cheloveka [On the issue of the concept and legal status of the human embryo]. Innovatsionnaya nauka, no.3, pp.40–44. (In Russian).
Gorbunova O.V. (2020) Dogovor khraneniya embrionov cheloveka pri primenenii vspomogatel'nykh reproduktivnykh tekhnologiy: Dis. … kand. yurid. nauk [Agreement on storage of human embryos when using assisted reproductive technologies: Cand. in law sci. diss.], Ul'yanovsk. (In Russian).
Kirichenko K.A. (2015) Okhrana tayny informatsii o rozhdenii rebenka: perspektivy rossiyskogo prava i razvitie vspomogatel'noy reproduktsii [Protecting the secrecy of information about the birth of a child: prospects for Russian law and the development of assisted reproduction]. Meditsinskoe pravo, no.1, pp.24–28. (In Russian).
Mitryakova E.S. (2006) Embrion kak sub'ekt pravootnosheniy [Embryo as a subject of legal relations]. Vestnik Tyumenskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, no.6, pp.16–19. (In Russian).
Morozova Yu.A. (2020) Grazhdansko-pravovoy status embriona [Civil status of an embryo]. Molodoy uchenyy, no.24, pp.304–307. (In Russian).
Popov A.N. (2002) Prestupleniya protiv zhizni, sovershennye pri otyagchayushchikh obstoyatel'stvakh, otnosyashchikhsya k lichnosti poterpevshego (pp. “b”, “v”, “g” ch.2 st.105 UK RF) [Crimes against life committed under aggravating circumstances related to the personality of the victim (subparagraphs “b”, “c”, “d” of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation], Saint Petersburg: Sankt-Peterburgskiy yuridicheskiy institut General'noy prokuratury Rossiyskoy Federatsii. (In Russian).
Sergeeva E.S. (2023) Zashchita interesov nerodivshegosya rebenka v grazhdanskom protsesse [Protection of interests of an unborn child in the civil procedure]. Arbitrazhnyy i grazhdanskiy protsess, no.9, pp.7–11. (In Russian).
Zhirikova K.A. (2022) Embrion cheloveka: pravovoy rezhim ili pravovoy status? [Human embryo: the legal regime or the legal status?]. Semeynoe i zhilishchnoe pravo, no.1, pp.3–6. (In Russian).
Zhuravlev M.S. (2021) Pravovye aspekty informatsionnoy bezopasnosti v telemeditsine: Dis. … kand. yurid. nauk [Legal aspects of information security in telemedicine: Cand. in law sci. diss.], Moscow. (In Russian).