European Court of Human Rights to Hold Hearing on Ten Ukrainian Children Missing From Crimea Since 2014

The European Court of Human Rights will convene a public hearing on September 22nd to address a case involving ten Ukrainian children who have been missing since 2014, when Russia seized control of Crimea. The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) filed the case against Russia, alleging that the country imposed Russian citizenship on the children, potentially leading to their adoption, and that they may have since been adopted by Russian families.

Ukrainian authorities have made numerous inquiries about the children's whereabouts since 2014, yet have received no response.

UHHRU contends that Russia's actions amount to enforced disappearance, as the children were kept in institutions, information about their whereabouts was concealed, and they were incorporated into Russian adoption and foster care systems. This, according to the union, violates the children's right to liberty and security under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Furthermore, UHHRU argues that the children's Russian nationality and appearance on Russian adoption websites infringe upon their right to private and family life under the Convention.

The hearing at the European Court of Human Rights serves as a reminder to keep the issue of Ukrainian children at the forefront of political discussions. Each case represents a child whose fate is critical, whose identity must be safeguarded, and whose whereabouts must be known. Consequently, the Court's ruling on the admissibility and merits of the case will be announced at a later date.

Currently, the European Court of Human Rights is the only international court investigating alleged human rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine since 2014.