Yermak, Amal Clooney discuss holding Russia accountable for crimes against Ukrainian children

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak discussed holding Russia accountable for crimes committed against the Ukrainian children with Amal Clooney, prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

“Amal Clooney is a barrister who specializes in international law and human rights and represents clients before international courts including the UN International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. In April 2022, Amal Clooney gave a speech at the UN Security Council calling for justice as shocking evidence of the crimes and atrocities the Russian military had committed within weeks of the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine has emerged,” the press service of the President’s Office informs.

On behalf of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Yermak thanked Clooney for her position.

"People in Ukraine know about your support and appreciate it a lot. Many people heard your speech and everything you said about the war and Ukrainians. This is extremely important indeed," the Head of the President’s Office said.

Yermak cited official data, according to which at least 20,000 children had been separated from their parents and forcibly removed by the Russian military from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

The Head of the President’s Office emphasized the importance of getting all the deported Ukrainian children back to their homeland and punishing the Russian criminals. According to him, Ukraine is already actively working on the matter.

He also emphasized the importance of international support in solving the problem of the violation of children’s rights.

“We intend to develop new mechanisms for protecting children's rights, punishing perpetrators and preventing crimes against children in the future," Yermak added.

Amal Clooney, in turn, underscored that she supports Ukraine and Ukrainians, shares their pain, understands all the horrors of the crimes committed against Ukrainian citizens and their children.

The human rights defender noted that she and her colleagues at the Clooney Foundation for Justice remain committed to continuing their work to promote accountability and deliver justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.