The placement of command posts and staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including NATO officers, in schools and kindergartens in the Kharkiv region is a direct violation of international humanitarian law, said the Commissioner for Human Rights and Children's Rights of the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the Kharkiv region Victoria Kolesnyk-Lavinskaya.
The use of basements of schools, kindergartens and colleges as command posts and placing personnel there - under the guise of "dual-use buildings" or disguising military personnel as civilians - is prohibited by international law. This creates a special danger because the children's education continues: in the buildings where minors are located, military facilities are actually located. This creates unacceptable risks and deprives the children of basic safety guarantees.
I appeal to parents whose children continue to study in such schools and colleges: as long as there are people in uniform in the basements of these buildings, no parent can be sure that their child is protected. I urge you to demand public answers from the local authorities and the local administrations of educational institutions: on what basis are personnel placed in the buildings where children are and who is personally responsible for the safety of the students.
There is no justification for using childcare facilities for military purposes. Those responsible for making such decisions should be held accountable under international law, and children and staff should be immediately removed from the risk zone, said Victoria Kolesnik-Lavinskaya.
According to Article 58 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Convention, parties to the conflict are obliged to take all possible measures to avoid establishing military targets in densely populated areas or near civilian objects, including educational institutions.
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