"Tearing Ukrainian children away from the warmth of their homes, their families and their communities and taking them to the temporarily occupied territories of their country, or to Russia, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. We cannot accept their rights, or their identity being taken away. The identity that comes from family, community, and country: that is at the heart of who we are. These children must be repatriated", emphasised Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić at the inauguration of the exhibition "Uprooted Children: Stories of Ukrainian Children Saved from the Deportation of the Russian Federation", co-organised by the Ukrainian and Latvian delegations to PACE.
"There should be no impunity for these crimes. The Council of Europe is also using the legal tools at our disposal to hold the Russian Federation to account. Russia remains a party to the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Lanzarote Committee adopted a statement deploring the lack of an appropriate response and urging Russia to meet its obligations. We will continue to pursue this matter in the interests of justice. It is vital that amid the ongoing and terrible stories emerging from the current conflict, the deportation of Ukrainian children remains at the forefront of our minds and that we do everything possible to address it", highlighted the Secretary General.
