Belarus has taken more than 2200 Ukrainian children from the occupied territories - study
Kyiv • UNN
Belarus moved at least 2219 Ukrainian children from the occupied territories between 2021 and June 2024. Children are re-educated, militarized and used in propaganda, erasing their Ukrainian identity.
Belarus moved at least 2219 Ukrainian children from the occupied territories to the territory of the republic from 2021 to June 2024. This is stated in the report "Stolen Childhood: How the Belarusian regime erases the identity of Ukrainian children through displacement, re-education and militarization," presented by human rights activists on October 10, UNN reports with reference to the ZMINA Human Rights Center.
We learned that at least 2219 of our children were moved to Belarus between 2021 and June 2024. Although these actions are justified as "recreation," the largest groups of children are moved to Belarus during the school year to make it easier to involve them in local schools. In addition, at least 27 children who were in camps in Belarus were later transferred to Russian camps
According to human rights activists, this consistent movement of children, including their "circulation" between the camps in Russia and Belarus, indicates a planned policy of indoctrination of children and eradication of Ukrainian identity.
According to the lawyer of the Regional Center for Human Rights Kateryna Rashevskaya, 18 re-education camps have been identified in Belarus. They are reportedly part of a network of 67 institutions in the Russian Federation and 13 in the occupied territories.
The children are outside of camps and schools. The Belarusian state identifies Ukrainian children in Belarus as "Russians" and recognizes the Russian citizenship imposed on them, and Belarusian state media call them "young and new citizens of Russia." Also, during events, Ukrainian children are often addressed by Belarusian public figures and officials who promote anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian ideology.
Ukrainian children are also exploited in propaganda. In particular, it is noted that on Belarusian television, children call the full-scale invasion of Ukraine a "special military operation" and call themselves "Russian children."
According to human rights activists, militarization is another criminal practice aimed at training and recruiting children for future service in Russian military organizations. And during the children's stay in Belarus, they meet with law enforcement agencies, the military or paramilitary youth organizations in Belarus.
Human rights activists are convinced that dictator Aleksandr Rukashenko personally created the conditions for the transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarusian territory. State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Mikhail Mishustin are directly involved in the transfer of children. In 2022 and 2023, the Union State allocated more than $500,000 for the removal of children from Donbas under the guise of "humanitarian aid". Alyaksei Talay, a Belarusian Paralympic athlete and head of the Alyaksei Talay Foundation, is also actively involved in the transportation of children to camps in the country, organizing a "cultural program" for them and financing this process. He is a supporter of Lukashenko and Putin, has close ties with representatives of the regimes of these states and is associated with the Zakharchenko Cadet Corps.
Human rights activists have already submitted evidence of the Belarusian regime's crimes against Ukrainian children to the ICC. They also demand the issuance of arrest warrants for Aleksander Lukashenka, Dzmitry Mezenets, Mikhail Mishustin and Alaksei Talay.