The illegal movement of Ukrainian children to Belarus has become the focal point of discussion at the UN Human Rights Council
"The deportation of children to Belarus is a war crime," stated the representative of Ukraine during a hearing on the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights titled "The situation of human rights in Belarus in the run-up to and after the 2020 presidential elections." The report is currently under discussion in Geneva as part of a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.
In the latter part of last year, NAM actively took steps to collect and transmit information regarding Lukashenko's crimes to the Ukrainian authorities. Additionally, this information was communicated to partner countries and international organizations through bilateral meetings, multilateral forums, and presentations in the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, as well as the OSCE and the UN.
The issue of the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus was also raised by representatives from Poland, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and several other countries. Human Rights Watch, a human rights organization, also highlighted that open-source data suggests the involvement of Belarusian authorities in the illegal transfer of 2,000 children to Belarus.
NAM emphasizes the significance of presenting the official stance of Ukraine, partner countries, and international organizations regarding the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, their indoctrination, and re-education within the territory of Belarus. In June and November 2023, NAM submitted two sets of communications to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, providing evidence of Lukashenko's and his accomplices' involvement in this war crime.
NAM continues to work diligently in collecting evidence and subsequently sharing it with the ICC, Ukrainian authorities, and partner countries with the aim of bringing Lukashenko to justice for the committed war crime.