Russians harass and beat kidnapped Ukrainian children for disobedience, - Herasimchuk
In Russia, kidnapped Ukrainian children are psychologically harassed, called names for being Ukrainian, and even beaten for disobedience.
This was reported by the President's Commissioner for Children's Rights, Daria Herasimchuk, Censor.NET reports with reference to Ukrainian Pravda.
"Very often, children are punished for refusing to speak Russian, refusing to learn and sing the Russian national anthem, to stand up during the Russian national anthem.
Almost all the children testified that they were psychologically abused very much, called different names for being Ukrainians. There are even children who testify that they were beaten for such disobedience," says the Commissioner for Children's Rights.
The children had photo evidence, but the Russians forced them to delete all photos and videos when they were handed over to their parents. Currently, Herasimchuk only has the oral testimony of a child.
The commissioner said that she currently has information on more than 19,500 deported and forcibly displaced children. And the Russians themselves called the figure 744 thousand "evacuated" children.
Some children were taken to Russia or relocated to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
"Currently, there is information on 19,514 children based on the fact that local authorities, relatives, relatives, parents and witnesses of deportation and forced relocation...
We understand that our list is not exhaustive. We are talking about at least several hundred thousand children abducted by the Russian authorities," says Gerasimchuk.
So far, 327 children have been returned to Ukraine.
