The abduction of children from Mariupol and their deportation to Russia could be part of the genocide of the Ukrainian people – CrimeaSOS
9 / 04 / 2022
This article was translated by our volunteer Natavan
Recently, the Russians have deported more than 121,000 children from Ukraine, including orphans and those who have living parents. 40,000 children from Mariupol were first taken to the occupied Donetsk and then in the direction of Taganrog [Russia].
“This is a clear violation of children’s rights, fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law,” said Yevhen Yaroshenko, a CrimeaSOS analyst. “In order to claim genocide, it is necessary to prove the existence of a key element of this crime – the intention to completely or partially exterminate Ukrainians as an ethnic group. A case to prove the genocide of the Ukrainian people can be made taking into account several factors: statements of the Russian leadership and propagandists against the Ukrainian people, mass killings of Ukrainians in the occupied territories, including parents of the abducted children, targeted attacks on hospitals, maternity wards, railway stations, residential buildings, blocking of humanitarian aid deliveries to besieged settlements, killings of civilians attempting to evacuate from the areas of hostilities,” Yevhen said.
However, according to our expert, international organizations are in no hurry to conclude whether certain events are genocide.
“Many states and political movements often manipulate the term genocide. What are the statements of Russian officials about the “genocide of Russians in Ukraine” worth? Therefore, the International Criminal Court and other international institutions will be very deliberate in their assessments and will not jump to conclusions, “- said Eugene.
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova stated that the Russian Federation is preparing amendments to the legislation to simplify the adoption process. “They are going to give children away without due process and against basic legal norms, covering up the origins of the youngest Ukrainians,” – warns Denisova.
Photo: Felipe Dana