Russian occupation authorities are detaining parents of Ukrainian children who refuse to sing Russia's national anthem, while prosecuting minors accused of disloyalty, according to Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets.
Speaking at the presentation of his special report, “RESILIENT: Ukrainian Children Against Russia's Systematic Inhumane Treatment,” Lubinets described systematic pressure on children and their families in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
According to the Ombudsman, children who refuse to follow rules imposed by occupation authorities can expose their parents and relatives to security checks, detention and interrogation.
He said these interrogations are frequently accompanied by torture, while criminal proceedings may be initiated against families considered particularly disloyal.
Lubinets also reported verified cases of Ukrainian children being detained, prosecuted and convicted by Russian occupation authorities.
Children are additionally being persecuted for continuing their education online through Ukrainian schools, he said.
Lubinets urged international partners to extend sanctions beyond Russia's senior political and military leadership to everyone involved in the deportation, forcible transfer and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
He also called on foreign governments to help locate deported children, facilitate their return through intermediary countries and increase diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
The Ombudsman urged national parliaments and international organisations to formally recognise Russia's actions against Ukrainian children as genocide.
He stressed that allegations of deportation and forced transfer must be legally documented and addressed through international mechanisms to ensure accountability.
