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War against Ukraine: Nobel laureate calls for return of children from Russia

War against Ukraine: Nobel laureate calls for return of children from Russia

The Ukrainian Olexandra Matwijtschuk campaigns for the prosecution of Russian war crimes. During a conversation, she also commented on arms deliveries and the “deportations” of children.

The Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize winner Olexandra Matvijtschuk has called on international aid organizations to do more in Russia to bring back children who were kidnapped there during the war.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, like the United Nations with its children’s aid organization Unicef ​​and the refugee agency UNHCR, has offices in Russia and the resources to return “deported” children to Ukraine, the human rights activist told the German Press Agency in a video call.

Matviychuk is the chair of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), which won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize alongside human rights activists from Belarus and Russia. “We need humanitarian efforts because many Ukrainians were forcibly deported to Russia,” said the 39-year-old. “Organizations must at least try to do that.”

Thousands of children would be “transformed” in Russia

There are thousands of children who are “transformed” in camps. “The process of eroding Ukrainian identity must be stopped. Help is needed so that these people can leave Russia,” she stressed. Russia denies allegations that people are being abducted and “transformed”. The Ukrainians would rather be brought to safety before the fighting, according to Moscow.

The Ukrainian leadership also repeatedly claims that Ukrainian orphans are being forcibly “Russified” in camps. The United States recently claimed that the children were being kidnapped. Moscow, on the other hand, describes the allegations as absurd and accuses Washington of demonizing Russia. According to Moscow, millions of people fled Ukraine to Russia to escape the hostilities. Parts of eastern Ukraine had already been evacuated before the war began.

Matviychuk also supported calls by the Ukrainian government for the delivery of fighter jets and other modern weapons systems because there was no other way to protect people from Russian forces. “Yes, we need modern weapons,” she said. Last but not least, she showed understanding for the wishes of the Ukrainian leadership to also provide the country with internationally banned cluster munitions and phosphorus bombs. These should not be used in populated areas, but “only against Russian soldiers,” she said.

Ukraine needs quick help to liberate areas

“You have to help Ukraine to win quickly to stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in order to liberate areas,” stressed the lawyer. Exactly one year ago, on February 24, Putin launched the war of aggression. “This is a war between authoritarianism and democracy,” Matviychuk said. Ukraine is fighting for its independence and for democracy.

Once again, the lawyer called for charges against Putin and also the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, who is leaving military bases to Russia for the attacks on Ukraine, as war criminals. “Russia uses war crimes as a means of warfare. The Russians want to intentionally inflict suffering on people. They want to break people’s resistance with suffering and pain.”

At the same time, Matviychuk said that the Ukrainian side is already investigating alleged war crimes committed by its own soldiers and must investigate them further. “We are urging Ukrainian authorities to do so,” she said. However, among the tens of thousands of crimes recorded, the vast majority of crimes are attributable to Russian troops.

Source: Stern

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