GENEVA – The global Red Cross is asking for the ouster of the head of the Belarus Red Cross, who stirred global outrage for boasting that it was actively ferrying Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled spaces to Belarus.
The board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies mentioned Wednesday it has given the Belarus chapter till Nov. 30 to push aside Dzmitry Shautsou, and if no longer, will suggest all associates to halt new partnerships and investment for the Belarus department — which might be suspended from the world group.
An inside IFRC probe discovered that the Belarus Red Cross mentioned Shautsou used to be “found to be solely responsible for the allegations.” It additionally decided that any other group used to be answerable for transferring children from Russian-occupied portions of Ukraine, and the Belarus Red Cross’ involvement used to be most effective inside Belarus. It didn’t specify the different group.
Belarus has been Moscow’s closest ally since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with its chief Alexander Lukashenko permitting the Kremlin to make use of Belarusian territory to ship troops and guns into Ukraine. Lukashenko has additionally welcomed a Russian army presence in Belarus and the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear guns there.
Both Ukraine and the Belarusian opposition have decried the switch of children as illegal deportations, and there were requires global battle crimes fees for the Belarus chief, very similar to the charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belarusian opposition figures have accused Lukashenko of facilitating the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus — allegations that Minsk angrily rejected.
A file aired in July through state Belarus 1 TV channel confirmed Shautsou visiting the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Lysychansk in Ukraine’s jap Luhansk area. In the photos, he says the group used to be actively excited by bringing Ukrainian children to Belarus for “health improvement” functions, and mentioned the Belarus Red Cross used to be taking “an active part in it.”
The IFRC spells the identify of the secretary-general of Belarus Red Cross as Dmitry Shevtsov.
In June, Belarusian opposition activist Pavel Latushka mentioned he equipped the International Criminal Court with information that allegedly detailed the compelled switch of 2,100 Ukrainian children from no less than 15 Russia-occupied Ukrainian towns to Belarus with Lukashenko’s approval.
Belarusian government have showed internet hosting greater than 1,000 children, ages 6-15, from Russian-held portions of Ukraine for well being causes. The first staff of 350 children arrived in April, officers mentioned, with out offering additional main points.
Geneva-based IFRC brings in combination 191 nationwide organizations and focuses totally on supply of humanitarian support, responding to herbal screw ups and different crises. It is cut loose the International Committee of the Red Cross, which makes a speciality of conflicts, however they’re related below the umbrella of the world Red Cross Movement.
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