“Belarus must be held accountable for the deportation of Ukrainian children”: Freedom House
The forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus and Russia is one of the most horrific aspects of the war that has been going on in Ukraine for the third year. The consequences of such actions are deeply destructive for children, their families, and Ukrainian society as a whole. This problem has gained international resonance, and human rights defenders and international organizations call for the responsibility of the guilty, including the Belarusian leadership.
Report of the international organization Freedom House
The international organization Freedom House has published report, which exposes the direct participation of Belarus in the forced relocation of Ukrainian children. It emphasizes that the Belarusian authorities, acting together with Russian officials, organized the systematic re-education of Ukrainian children using a Russian-language educational program that promotes propaganda. Moreover, children were often taken to military facilities, where they were taught how to handle weapons, and were also convinced of the need to serve in the Russian army. Such actions are aimed at supplanting Ukrainian identity and creating model citizens for the future “union state” of Russia and Belarus.
“Some of the children were actually enrolled in local schools, they were taught the local curriculum, which is entirely in Russian, which also includes revisionist history, particularly Russian propaganda and the way they teach history.” – Freedom House researcher Onysya Sinyuk said.
Freedom House states that such actions are not only crimes against children, but also a component of genocide. Re-education and militarization have a systemic nature, which confirms the deep involvement of the Belarusian authorities in the Russian program to destroy Ukrainian identity. According to the report, there are known cases when Ukrainian orphans were transported to Belarus for “re-education”. In these situations, the use of the term “deportation” is justified, because the children had no protection from relatives or guardians.
Researchers on re-education of children in Belarus
One of the most painful aspects of this tragedy, researchers believe, is that children become an instrument of internal propaganda. They were filmed for Belarusian national TV channels, asking traumatic questions about their experiences under shelling and the occupation. One of the boys was even asked live if he was ready to fight for Russia in the future. Such actions are not only morally unacceptable, but also violate the rights of children enshrined in international conventions.
“These children were almost never left alone. They were sent to various cultural events, where cultural figures also told them a lot of propaganda messages that these children are Russians, that they should be happy that they are as far as possible from shelling, from the danger of being in the occupied territory, and that everyone will be happy after Russia finally annexes all Ukrainian territories”. – stressed Freedom House researcher Kateryna Rashevska.
Responsibility for the deportation of Ukrainian children
Freedom House researchers also draw attention to the role of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in this system. As the head of state, he is responsible for the operation of camps where children are kept, for organizing their indoctrination, militarization and participation in propaganda activities. The international community calls for personal sanctions against Lukashenka and other officials involved in these crimes.
Special attention is paid to the financing of this system. The report emphasizes the role of the union budget of Russia and Belarus, from which funds were allocated for the organization of relocation and re-education of children. The activity of Oleksiy Talai, who, through his foundation, contributed to the relocation of children and their integration into the re-education program is particularly notable. His connections with the Belarusian and Russian authorities and occupation administrations provide additional evidence of the organized nature of these actions.
Human rights defenders emphasize that responsibility for these crimes should be both criminal and quasi-judicial. It is necessary to strengthen sanctions, issue new arrest warrants for the perpetrators and provide reparations for the victims. At the same time, it is important not only to return the children physically, but also to help them rehabilitate in order to integrate them into society and restore moral balance.
This tragedy is not only a painful page for Ukraine, but also a test for the international community. Only decisive action can prevent such crimes from happening again in the future and ensure justice for the thousands of children whose childhoods have been ruined by violence and propaganda.
