The attorneys representing the genetic parents of Sophia, who was born following an IVF mixup, on Wednesday submitted a request for a complete gag order of the legal proceedings in the case, Walla! reported.
The request, submitted to the Lod District Court, follows an appeal to the District Court by Sophia's birth parents, requesting a stay on the order to immediately strip them of their status as her natural parents and guardians.
In their request, the genetic parents wrote that even before the appeal was written, journalists began turning to the family and attorneys for responses to the ruling and to the claims presented in the appeal, Walla! added. In the opinion of the genetic parents, any media reports regarding the proceedings, including the fact that they are being held, is clearly not in the best interests of Sophia herself, and violates previous gag orders.
"Unfortunately, this is a systematic way of behaving when people tend to publicize confidential information about the process," the request read.
On Sunday, Judge Oved Elias claimed that "the genetic relationship is the central basis of parenthood," and thus Sophia should be transferred from her birth parents to the couple whose embryo was accidentally implanted into her mother's womb. In his ruling, Elias ignored the legal precedent which requires any birth mother, including a surrogate, to actively sign her rights away of her own free will in order for her child to be transferred to another family.