UK blocks Lvova-Belova's UNSC address: "She can do so in The Hague"
The United Kingdom blocked a United Nations webcast of an informal Security Council meeting where Russia's commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, was scheduled to speak, The New York Times reports.
Russia, who holds the UNSC presidency, has scheduled an informal Council meeting on March 5 on the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.
“She should not be afforded a U.N. platform to spread disinformation,” said a statement from Britain’s mission to the United Nations. “If she wants to give an account of her actions, she can do so in The Hague.”
A note outlining the meeting that was circulated by Russia’s mission states that its purpose is to dispel a “deliberate distorted narrative” by the Western news media and some countries about Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian children.
In addition to Ms. Lvova-Belova, four other officials involved with the transfer of children are scheduled to brief the Council. One is a Russian adviser on humanitarian affairs to Ms. Lvova-Belova’s office, and three are local child protection officials from Donetsk.
As reported by IMI, on March 17, 2023, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) issued warrants of arrest for President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute).
The ICC Prosecutor General, Karim Khan, has said that the arrest warrant issued for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be valid for the rest of Putin's life.
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