Militants in Donbas Restrict Departure of Children Aged 14 and Older Without Passports from Occupied Territories

The occupation “authorities” of “Donetsk People’s Republic” restricted the departure of children aged 14 and older, who do not have passports of citizens of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, passports of these countries for travelling abroad, or “passports of DPR” for the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine.

“The occupying power of the ‘DPR’ violates the rights of children to education and freedom of movement! This is evidenced by its decision to restrict the departure of children aged 14 and older … Children of this age and their parents are made to get off the bus at the checkpoint ‘Olenivka’ and are not allowed to leave the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region. Thus, children will not be able to submit documents for admission to educational institutions in time,” Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova informed.

According to Denisova, previously children aged 14-16 years were allowed to cross the line of contact with a birth certificate and when accompanied by one of the parents.

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights appealed to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine with a request to assist children living in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in ensuring their right to education and freedom of movement.

Denisova noted that the educational centres “Donbas – Ukraine” began to work in Ukraine on 7 June, specially established to organise admission to Ukrainian higher education institutions for applicants from the temporarily occupied territories.

Bohdan Marusyak