On September 13, Myroslava Kharchenko, the Chief Lawyer of the Save Ukraine Charitable Foundation, participated in a meeting with ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. 15 leading civil society organizations held a meeting at the International Criminal Court office in Kyiv.
This meeting is of great importance, as Ukraine will soon become a full member of the Rome Statute — an international treaty of the ICC, whose jurisdiction covers four crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

Myroslava Kharchenko believes that now is the time for change. And indoctrination, the forced destruction of the identity of a person— especially of children in the temporarily occupied territories — should become the fifth crime under the Rome Statute.

“Save Ukraine has already returned nearly 500 children from russia and the temporarily occupied territories. Some of them experienced illegal deportation, others — were forcibly relocated. Some are witnesses, while others became victims of war crimes. All these people have been victims of indoctrination: they went through attempts by russians to alter their identity and eradicate their Ukrainian identity from their consciousness,” emphasized the Chief Lawyer of Save Ukraine.

According to the participants, it is crucial to strengthen joint efforts to bring to justice those responsible for crimes under the Rome Statute. Legal experts paid particular attention to the investigation of crimes against children and attacks on civilian objects.

The ICC also plans to expand its presence in Ukraine and intensify investigations. According to Karim Khan, all those involved in crimes in Ukraine — whether they are high-ranking officials or those launching drones — will be held accountable.

Prosecutor Khan emphasized the key role of civil society in documenting crimes and supporting survivors and families of victims. It is what Save Ukraine does systematically, along with our wards’ rehabilitation.

You can also support these efforts and join this important cause. We urge you not to remain indifferent to the fate of our young citizens. Unfortunately, due to russian actions, it is becoming increasingly challenging to bring our children back.

📸: International Criminal Court