International Red Cross disassociates from Belarusian office after it admits abducting Ukrainian children
The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies issued a statement after the head of the Belarusian Red Cross, Dzmitry Shevtsov, admitted that he was involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.
An investigation has been launched, according to the statement published on the organization's website on July 19.
The IFRC maintains it was unaware of Shevtsov's visit to the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and was not "involved in any of its activities, including with children."
"Actions by any of our member Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies in contradiction with our humanitarian mission, Fundamental Principles and policies are taken extremely seriously by IFRC," the message reads.
“The visit and the activities associated with it were not coordinated with the other components of the Movement.”
The organization says that it has already referred the case of the Belarusian representatives to the Compliance and Mediation Committee, which investigates and reviews alleged integrity violations.
"We have contacted the Belarus Red Cross to express our grave concern and to stop any similar activity in the future," the IFRC said.
“It is important to note that the Secretary General of the Belarus Red Cross does not speak on behalf of the IFRC or any other component of the Movement, and his statements do not represent our views.”
Earlier, during a trip to the occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast, Dzmitry Shevtsov told propagandists that the Belarusian Red Cross "has been, is and will be actively involved" in the abduction of children from Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Shevtsov.
What is the role of Belarus in the deportation of Ukrainian children
According to the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, the Russians have taken almost 20,000 children from the occupied territories of Ukraine, and about 6,000 are being held in "re-education camps."
Read also: Belarus responsible for deportation of Ukrainian children, Kyiv says
He stated that the forced transfer of Ukrainian children and prisoners of war is taking place, in particular, through the territory of Belarus.
Since September 2022, about 2,150 Ukrainian children over the age of six have been deported to Belarus, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported.
In total, according to the European Parliament, the number of Ukrainian children illegally deported to Russia could reach 16,000 to 300,000. MEPs believe that Russians began taking Ukrainian children back in 2014, after the occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
On April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing the forced transfer ofUkrainian children to Russia as genocide.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on charges of committing war crimes in connection with the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
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