Advisor – President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk on the eve of Children's Day highlighted Russia's violations of children's fundamental rights.
"Given the consequences of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine on the lives and destinies of Ukrainian children, today, on the eve of Children's Day, I would like to emphasize that the Russian military violates all the fundamental rights of Ukrainian children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international or national legislation," said Daria Herasymchuk at the briefing.
She stated that even if a child is not injured, the rights to privacy and protection from encroachment, to protection from physical and psychological violence, to rest and leisure, education and family of each of the 7.5 million children who lived in Ukraine before the large-scale invasion of the Russian Federation have been affected.
"Russia kills and injures Ukrainian children. Children's lives and destinies are broken or destroyed," emphasized the President's Commissioner.
Since February 24, 2022, as of May 30 this year, 483 children have been killed and 989 injured.19 484 young Ukrainians have been deported to Russia or the Republic of Belarus or forcibly transferred to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Darya Herasymchuk noted that this list is incomplete, as there is no information from the Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories.
The Advisor – President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation also recalled the crimes of sexual violence against children, which is a violation of the child's right to protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, as well as the violation by the Russians of the child's right to protection from exploitation that is harmful to various aspects of the child's well-being, protection from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
"For a month now, my daughter has been sleeping in the corridor because she is afraid of a missile or UAV hitting our house. Isn't this a violation of her right to privacy and is she really protected from encroachment on it?" said Daria Herasymchuk.
She emphasized that Ukraine is doing everything to bring the Russian aggressor to justice and at the same time create the preconditions for a peaceful and safe future for Ukrainian children.
"Every child deserves a peaceful childhood filled with warmth and care from loved ones. And Ukrainian children have lost their childhood because of Russia," she added.