Rights, Reason, and Justice in the Case of Ukrainian Children Deported to Russia

Abstract

In this article, we will first present and analyze the rights of children subjected to deportations from Ukraine by the Russian authorities, using as a reading grid the universal and regional international instruments specialized in the field, in particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights. Starting from these instruments, we will determine which of the actors involved has reason, the arguments of the authorities of the two states, Russia and Ukraine, being diametrically opposed. Using the investigations of international NGOs, of the Ukrainian authorities, as well as those of international organizations that have taken note of the actions of the Russian authorities in the occupied territories, we will reveal the means used by these authorities to annihilate the rights of deported children. Finally, we will present the reaction of the international jurisdictional community to these actions, through the voice of the International Criminal Court, and the means of legal coercion at its disposal to condemn the Russian authorities, responsible for violating the rights of Ukrainian children, as well as the efficiency of these means in the given situation.