An international coalition has been established to tackle Russia’s ongoing abduction of Ukrainian children. The initiative aims to ensure the safe return of these children to their families.
From: Euromaiden Press BY YURI ZORIA
On 9 December, the inaugural meeting of the International Coalition of Countries for the Return of Ukrainian Children took place in Kyiv.
Since the onset of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has intensified its disturbing practice of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia. Russian authorities often alter the identities of these children, making it harder for their families to locate and reunite with them.
In March, The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, concerning their involvement in the forced deportation of children.
The forced displacement of children from one group to another with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national group is considered a crime of genocide under point (e) of Article 2 of the 1948 Convention on Genocide, which was previously emphasized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
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