Deportation of Ukrainian children — the ICC may investigate Belarus' involvement in it
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The International Criminal Court may investigate Belarus' role in the deportation of Ukrainian children, despite the fact that the country is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.
This was announced by court spokesman Fadi el Abdalla at the ICC meeting in The Hague, Radio Svoboda reports.
Investigation into the deportation of children from Ukraine
"We are stating that such crimes could have been committed on the territory of Ukraine. That is, regardless of whether the children were taken to Russia or elsewhere, such acts may fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC if the abduction itself was committed, at least in part, on the territory of Ukraine," Abdallah said.
At the same time, the court spokesman recalled that earlier the Belarusian authorities had presented Ukrainian children from the city of Antratsyt in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region. As you know, they were sent to the Belarusian city of Mogilev and placed in a sanatorium. At the same time, the Belarusian military was training them.
By the way, in late September, human rights activists called on the ICC to investigate Russia and Belarus, claiming that there is a lot of evidence that children were forcibly transferred from Ukraine to Belarus during the full-scale war.
As a reminder, Russia is preventing the return of abducted Ukrainian children and keeping them in inadequate conditions. In addition, the occupiers take minors to so-called "camps" where they spread propaganda.
Previously, Qatar agreed to exchange children between Ukraine and Russia. It is noted that nine minors aged 12 to 17 and one adult will return to their families in Ukraine.
