UN committee calls on Russia to end deportation of Ukrainian children
That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.
In a report on Russia, the UN committee said Moscow should provide information about the precise number of children taken from Ukraine and their whereabouts, so they can be identified and returned.
The committee also said Russia should ensure that no child was deprived of their Ukrainian nationality, and that their identity, name and family relations must be preserved.
The committee said it was "deeply concerned" about the allegations of Russian children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova's responsibility and urged Russian authorities to "investigate allegations of war crimes perpetrated" by her. It did not mention the allegations against Putin.
The UN committee also denounced the alleged "widespread and systematic state propaganda in schools about the war in Ukraine," including through the issuance of a new history textbook and a new training manual for teaching the government's positions on the conflict.
UN experts urged Russia to "prevent any attempts to rewrite school curriculum and textbooks to reflect the political and military agenda of the government."
The committee also expressed concerns about sexual and other violence committed by Russian soldiers against children in Ukraine.
The 18-member committee of independent experts last examined Russia's record on children's rights a decade ago. The panel also urged the Russian government to investigate war crime allegations against President Vladimir Putin's commissioner for children's rights.
The ICC issued arrest warrants last March for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, on charges of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
The ICC's chief prosecutor said Russia had transferred "at least hundreds" of children from orphanages and care homes in occupied regions of Ukraine, and that many had been given up for adoption.
The Kremlin dismissed the ICC allegations as "outrageous and unacceptable."
