ORDLO militants block checkpoints for children wanting to apply to Ukrainian educational institutions

The occupying authorities from the ORDLO territory violate the rights of children to education and freedom of movement.

The human rights ombudsperson Liudmila Denisova announced this.

She said that the ORDLO decided to restrict children over 14 years of age who don't have a passport of a citizen of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, foreign passports of these countries, or a "DNR passport" from leaving.

The ombudsperson said that currently children of this age at the Olenivka checkpoint are put off buses along with their parents and not let out of the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region. As a result, children cannot apply for admission to educational institutions on time. At the same time, she reminded that earlier, children aged 14-16 were allowed to travel with their parents based on a birth certificate together with one of the parents.

Denisova appealed to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine 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.

She also stressed that under international humanitarian law on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, state parties are obliged to take all possible measures to ensure the protection and care of children affected by armed conflict.

In addition, Denisova reminded that on June 7, educational centers "Donbas-Ukraine," created to organize admission to Ukrainian higher education institutions for entrants from the temporarily occupied territories, began operating in Ukraine.