Strasbourg, Jan 26: The Russian representative at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday denied Ukraine’s accusations that three groups of Ukrainian children were illegally transferred to the Russian territory from eastern Ukraine when a conflict broke out there in 2014, arguing this was done voluntarily to save their lives.
Ukraine lodged a complaint with the Strasbourg-based court in 2014, claiming that the children were abducted in three groups between June and August 2014 in eastern Ukraine and temporarily transferred to Russia. Ukraine says the alleged abductions and illegal border crossings were in violation of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.
Mikhail Vinogradov, who represents Russia in the rights court that began hearing complaints filed by Ukraine and the Netherlands in the MH17 plane crash case, told the court that the allegations of abduction were unacceptable and baseless. He argued that the children were moved to Russia in the presence of adults to protect their lives and well-being. This is evidenced by a letter of guarantee signed by the Ukrainian consul general in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don Vitaly Moskalenko, whose diplomatic mission took responsibility for the children, he said.
