Secretary-General of the Council of Europe spoke at the ceremonial opening of the exhibition in PACE

Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić spoke at the ceremonial opening of the exhibition in PACE “Tearing Ukrainian children away from the warmth of their homes, their families and their communities and taking them to the temporarily occupied territories of their country, or to Russia, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. We cannot accept their rights, or their identity being taken away. The identity that comes from family, community, and country: that is at the heart of who we are. These children must be repatriated. There should be no impunity for these crimes. The Council of Europe is also using the legal tools at our disposal to hold the Russian Federation to account. Russia remains a party to the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Lanzarote Committee adopted a statement deploring the lack of an appropriate response and urging Russia to meet its obligations. We will c