The administration of US President Donald Trump has terminated a Washington-funded initiative that documented alleged Russian war crimes, including a confidential database detailing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. This was reported by The Washington Post with reference to unnamed US officials familiar with the relevant directives and documents, UNN informs.
Details
It is noted that in this way, the White House has banned the transfer of evidence to prosecutors investigating numerous criminal cases, including the landmark indictment of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for what the ICC called the "illegal transfer" of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The biggest concern ... is the possible removal of the research laboratory's database ... - an action that is likely to hinder efforts to find missing children and bring those responsible for their abduction to justice.
Another concern, lawmakers say, is that if the database is moved rather than deleted, its contents may now be compromised and digital forensic evidence will be inadmissible in court.
"A State Department spokesman confirmed that funding for the initiative had been terminated, but declined to say whether the data had been deleted or moved," the publication added.
Remind
Ukraine managed to return more than 1,200 children who were taken by Russia to its territory from the temporarily occupied territories. This was stated by Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine on Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation.