Israel recognizes marriage of same-sex immigrant couple who married online in Russia

Israel has recognized the marriage of a female couple who fled Russia and will grant new immigrant status to one of the two women. The Population and Immigration Authority last week informed Alona Selicheva and Maria Baytenova that it recognizes their marriage process, which was conducted online. The two left Russia and came to Israel more than a year ago following its invasion of Ukraine and escalating persecution of LGBTQ people in the country.

About a year before they made aliyah, Selicheva and Baytenova married in what is known as a “Utah marriage” – a civil marriage procedure conducted by video call with authorities in the U.S. state of Utah. Last November, the couple petitioned the High Court of Justice through attorneys Naomi Kessel and Maya Doman of the Israel Religious Action Center’s Legal Aid Center for Olim.

In response to the petition, the Population and Immigration Authority said it needed confirmation from the Russian authorities that they recognize “Utah marriages,” even though Russia does not recognize same-sex marriage. The court ordered the state to submit its response by the end of July and ruled that if it did not do so, it would hold a substantive hearing on the petition.

Last September, a few months after Selicheva and Baytenova made aliyah, the Jerusalem District Court recognized the “Utah marriages” of Israeli citizens following a petition by Hiddush, an organization promoting religious freedom and equality in Israel.

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