Ukraine charges Russia politician with war crimes over alleged deportation of orphans News
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Ukraine charges Russia politician with war crimes over alleged deportation of orphans

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced charges on Friday against a Russian politician and two suspected Ukrainian collaborators for war crimes related to the alleged deportation of 48 orphans from the Kherson orphanage to Moscow. Their actions were classified as a violation of the laws and customs of war according to the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

This is the first time such charges have been brought in Ukraine for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia or the occupied territories. According to the statement, the whereabouts of the orphaned children, some as young as one, are currently unknown.

The suspects facing charges include a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the head of the Department of Health Protection of the Military-Civil Administration of the Kherson Region and the acting head doctor of the Kherson Regional Children’s Home. If found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war under the Geneva Convention, they could face up to 12 years in prison.

The charges stem from a broader investigation conducted jointly with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The ICC had previously issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Anna Kuznetsova in March over the same allegations.

The case highlights the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Since then, there have been numerous clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.

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