Our Association continues cooperation with UN structures informing them on Russia’s gross human rights violations an war crimes on Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Crimea.
Earlier ARC informed the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (UN CED) in a process of consultation on its General Comment on enforced disappearances in the context of migration in framework of Committee’s concept note adopted on April 2022.
In ARC’s relevant submission, prepared by Professor Borys Babin and published by UN CED we informed Committee that lot of persons, including them who tried to evacuate themselves from conflict zone in South of Ukraine, were killed or kidnapped by Russian troops, terrorist groups and punitive structures as “non-loyal” ones and during looting their property.
ARC pointed about issue of Ukraine’s children, kidnapped by Russian criminal structures often with fake “Russian citizenship” and transfer child to Russia for “adoption”.
Later UN CED adopted draft of its First General Comment on enforced disappearances of migrants and in June, 2023 ARC commented it additionally upon the Committee’s invitation.
ARC stated in its new comment that regarding migrants’ children specific situation must be taken into account: of enforced “patronage” and “adoption” and keeping in orphanages with artificial change of children personal data, including names, origin, parents’ names that make impossible effective research of deported child.
Regarding common displaced victims’ rights ARC pointed, on example of Crimean Tatars, kidnapped by aggressor’s punishers, that special attention must be paid to indigenous migrants regarding their rights, guaranteed by UN Declaration, 2007, including cultural and spiritual rights and right to return on historic native land.
Also ARC stressed that in conditions on hostilities and interstate conflict demands of Roma Statute, Geneva Convention and Additional Protocols must be taken in account regarding war crimes and crimes against humanity committed as enforcement disappearances, also as Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide must be taken into account, regarding migrants’ systematic enforcement disappearances on ethnic, linguistic or racial ground as a specific form of genocide.
Also, on example of Russian occupiers’ committed destruction of Kakhovka HPP ARC stressed that ecocidal and other environmental challenges must be taken into account as states like Russia may use power of nature like floods and fires to hide the victims of migrants’ enforced disappearances on occupied territories. UN CED thanked ARC for such comments given to draft of General Comment to be soon adopted by Committee.
