The European Court of Human Rights will hold a public hearing on Tuesday 22 September in a case concerning ten Ukrainian children who were living in childcare institutions when Russia took over Crimea in 2014.
The case has been lodged by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU), which claims that Russian nationality was imposed on the children, who were put up for adoption – and may have since been adopted. The UHHRU states that this effectively amounts to the enforced disappearance of the children.
The fate of every child matters, says Special Envoy
Ahead of the hearing, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, Special Envoy of the Council of Europe Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine, said:
“The hearing at the European Court of Human Rights in this case is a reminder that we must keep Ukrainian children at the heart of the political agenda. Behind every case is a child whose fate matters, whose identity must be protected, and whose whereabouts must be known. We must not stop asking questions and demanding answers.”
Alleged human-rights violations by Russia
The applicants claim that Russia kept the children in institutions after taking effective control of Crimea, concealed information on their whereabouts and included them in Russian systems of adoption or foster placement – breaching their right to liberty and security under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The UHHRU also argues that the arbitrary change of the children’s citizenship and their listing on adoption websites failed to respect and protect their social identity as Ukrainian nationals, violating their right to private and family life under the human rights convention.
The Court will decide on the admissibility and merits of the case at a later date.
The European Court of Human Rights is the only international court currently examining allegations of serious human rights abuses by Russia in Ukraine since 2014.
