ウクライナの子ども６０００人超拘束 ロシアが戦争犯罪の疑い 米報告書

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】ロシアがウクライナから連れ去った子ども６０００人以上を再教育施設に収容し、「愛国教育」を施している疑いを指摘する報告書が１５日、米国で公表された。戦争犯罪に当たる可能性があると懸念を表明している。（写真はウクライナ・リビウの子どもたち。資料写真）
　報告書は米国務省の委託でエール大学人道研究所がまとめた。それによれば、ロシアによる昨年の侵攻開始以降、ウクライナから多数の子どもがクリミア半島やシベリアなどロシア全土に４３か所ある施設に連行された。
　エール大のナサニエル・レイモンド研究員は記者会見で、ロシアは紛争時の文民保護について定めた１９４９年のジュネーブ条約に「明らかに違反している」と主張。ロシアの行為は「戦争犯罪や人道に対する罪に当たる可能性がある」と述べた。
　ロシア側は孤児の救済と医療サービスの提供が目的だと説明している。報告書によると、圧力を受けて子どもの移送に同意するか、いずれは帰国すると思って送り出す親もいる。
　ロシア当局は子どもに対し、学校での教育や校外学習、退役軍人の講演などを通じてロシアへの愛国心を植え付けようとしており、銃器を扱う訓練も施しているという。ただし、レイモンド氏によれば、子どもたちが戦場に送られていることを示す証拠はない。
　報告書は衛星画像やロシアの国営メディアの情報などを基に、施設に移送された子どもは少なくとも６０００人に上ると推定。実際の人数はこれを「はるかに上回る可能性が高い」と指摘した。
　その上で、ロシアに対し、中立的な機関による収容所への立ち入りに加え、子どもたちの養子縁組を直ちに停止するよう求めている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/02/15-13:09）

Russia has held at least 6,000 children from Ukraine in camps aimed at re-education in what could constitute a war crime, a US study said Tuesday.
Since the start of the war nearly a year ago, children as young as four months have been taken to 43 camps across Russia, including in Moscow-annexed Crimea and Siberia, for pro-Russia patriotic and military-related education, said the report by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab that was funded by the US State Department.
Nathaniel Raymond, a Yale researcher, said that Russia was in clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the treatment of civilians during war and called the report a gigantic Amber alert -- referring to US public notices of child abductions.
The Russian activity in some cases may constitute a war crime and a crime against humanity, he told reporters.
The report called for a neutral body to be granted access to the camps and for Russia immediately to stop adoptions of Ukrainian children.
Ukraine's government recently said that more than 14,700 children have been deported to Russia where some have been sexually exploited.
The US report, which relied on satellite imagery and public accounts, said that at least 6,000 children have been sent to camps but that the number is likely significantly higher.
Russia has cast the effort as saving orphans or bringing children for medical care. Some parents were pressured to give consent to send away their children, sometimes with hopes they would return, the report said.
It said that Russian authorities have sought to provide a pro-Moscow viewpoint to children through school curricula as well as through field trips to patriotic sites and talks from veterans.
Children have also been given training in firearms, although Raymond said there was no evidence they were being sent back to fight.
Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, with President Vladimir Putin denying the historical legitimacy of the neighboring country and in September formally declaring four regions to be part of Russia.
The study said that Putin aides have been closely involved in the operation, especially Maria Lvova-Belova, the presidential commissioner for children's rights.
It quoted her as saying that 350 children have been adopted by Russian families and that more than 1,000 were awaiting adoption.