On Thursday, 21 December, the Saeima adopted the Resolution on the return of illegally displaced Ukrainian children from the territory of Russia and Belarus to Ukraine.
In the Resolution, MPs condemn the forced illegal displacement of Ukrainian children by Russia and Belarus to the territories of the two countries.
“They are not just kidnapping children. They are kidnapping the future of Ukraine,” underlined Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, which is responsible for advancing the draft resolution in the Parliament. “It is our moral duty to remind and draw the attention of the international community to the Ukrainian children who have been kidnapped by Russia, violently severed from their family, relatives, and homeland,” stated the Chair of the Committee. “Russia’s war of aggression is more than just fighting on the front lines,” noted Kols. “Undeniably, it also involves countless crimes, human rights violations, emotional, physical, and psychological abuse, including against every single illegally displaced Ukrainian child.”
In the Resolution, MPs call on the international community and organisations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, to play an active role in addressing the issue in order to return the stolen Ukrainian children to their families or legal guardians as quickly and safely as possible.
The Saeima supports the investigation launched by the International Criminal Court with a view to identifying and prosecuting those who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity on Ukrainian territory.
Members of the Saeima appreciate the progress already made by many participating countries in returning Ukrainian children and express support for the International Coalition for the Return of Illegally Deported and Forcibly Displaced Children to Ukraine.
MPs urge, in line with Ukraine’s intention, to establish an international centre in a third country to work on the return of the displaced Ukrainian children and serve as a point of contact for the international organisations involved, Ukrainian children, and their parents or legal guardians.
The Saeima also encourages other countries and international organisations to take an active and immediate role in the matter and to adopt similar resolutions.
Saeima Press Service