The OSCE arrived in Ukraine to collect data on the deportation of children

Experts came to Ukraine to investigate the deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories by Russia within the framework of the OSCE special mechanism. The representative of the President of Ukraine on children's rights has already met with them, he writes dw.com.

Illustrative photo

Experts from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) arrived in Ukraine to collect data on Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. As reported in the Office of the President of Ukraine late on Tuesday, April 18, Volodymyr Zelenskyi's commissioner for children's rights and child rehabilitation Daria Gerasimchuk met with them.

Dr. Elina Steinerte (Latvia), professors Veronika Bilkova (Czech Republic) and Cecilia Hellestvait (Norway) arrived in Kyiv. They will collect facts about the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation with subsequent changes in their personal status, including citizenship, separation from parents or guardians, and illegal adoption, as well as facts about other violations or abuses that lead to forced assimilation.

During the meeting in the President's Office, the experts were given information about the situation with Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. Children who managed to return to Ukraine told their stories.

"We are ready to provide all the support you need to get the information you need. I am convinced that not only Ukraine, but also the entire European and world community are looking forward to your conclusions regarding the issue of deportation of Ukrainian children," Gerasimchuk said at the meeting.

Moscow mechanism

At the end of March, 45 OSCE countries engaged a special mechanism to investigate Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children during the war against Ukraine. We are talking about the so-called Moscow Mechanism, which is designed to investigate allegations of serious violations by states of their obligations within the framework of the OSCE and determine measures for their elimination.

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism, which was last used in 2020 to examine alleged human rights violations in Belarus, allows member states to send expert missions to help resolve a specific people-related issue or problem.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the deportation of children from the occupied regions of Ukraine. From now on, they have the official status of suspects of committing an international crime, and in the territory of 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, they must be arrested.

Moscow denies involvement in war crimes. Also, Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC and is not a party to the Rome Statute. In turn, the ICC does not recognize the immunity of heads of state in case of investigation of war crimes and punishment for them. In response to the arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova, Russian investigators opened a case against the prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court.

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