Official UN investigation: Russia forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainian children. “They are crimes against humanity”
An international UN commission of inquiry accused Moscow on Tuesday of committing “crimes against humanity” by forcibly deporting Ukrainian children to Russia, reports Agerpres citing the France Presse agency.
“The evidence gathered led the commission to the conclusion that the Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity, namely the deportation and forcible transfer, as well as the enforced disappearance of many” Ukrainian children, the International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine announced in a statement accompanying the publication of a report in Geneva.
This commission was created in 2022 by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate alleged violations of human rights, international humanitarian law and related crimes committed in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In their report, the investigators found that Russian authorities had “illegally deported and transferred children” and “unreasonably delayed their repatriation”.
In addition, the measures taken regarding deported or transferred children “violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law” and are not guided by the best interests of the child, the commission points out.
The commission has so far confirmed the expulsion or transfer of 1,205 children, but stresses that it is not a final figure, as Russian authorities have “deported or transferred thousands of children from areas occupied by Russian troops in Ukraine.”
80% of transferred children did not return home
The issue is extremely sensitive in Ukraine and remains at the center of negotiations in the event of a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow.
According to Kiev, around 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken to Russia or territories occupied by Russian forces since the start of the large-scale invasion in 2022.
Russia claims it has transferred Ukrainian children from their homes or orphanages to shelter them from hostilities.
However, the UN commission points out that international law requires that evacuations be “temporary and motivated by compelling reasons of health, medical care or security”.
According to the investigators, 80% of the children expelled or transferred in the cases examined by the commission did not return home, as the Russian authorities did not establish a system to facilitate their return.
