Report from the UN Human Rights Council
Russia is said to be kidnapping Ukrainian children in care
06/15/2022, 4:19 p.m
Reports of Russian war crimes have increased since the beginning of the Ukraine war. A commission of the UN Human Rights Council is now investigating indications that Ukrainian children in care are to be brought to Russia. They would receive Russian citizenship there.
In Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, children are said to have disappeared from homes. The investigative commission of the UN Human Rights Council received information on this during its visit to Ukraine reported in Kyiv. One must investigate reports “that children who were housed in facilities in the temporarily occupied areas were brought to Russia,” said Commissioner Jasminka Džumhurin.
They had heard that these children would be granted Russian citizenship and adoption processes would be initiated. After DžUmhurin said the commission was initially unable to examine the reports itself because it was unable to travel to the occupied territories. But she wants to pursue it. How many children are involved, Džumhurin not say. She spoke of a “significant number”.
Since June 7, the three-member commission has received information that could indicate war crimes or crimes against humanity on their trip, said commission chairman Erik Møse. Among other things, he referred to visits to Bucha and Irpin, where people reported to the commission about indiscriminate killings of civilians, looting and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools.
Contact with Russia fails
The Commission plans further trips to Ukraine. She is talking to experts from the International Criminal Court, for example, which is also investigating possible war crimes. It must be avoided that victims are traumatized again by repeated questioning. The Commission has so far tried in vain to contact Russia via the embassy in Geneva, said Møse.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva appointed the commission in March. Commissioner Pablo de Greiff stressed that all crimes would be investigated, regardless of who committed them. The Commission plans to report to the Council for the first time in September.