Charlotte Hobson retweetledi
Reading the news about the teenagers from Melitopol, I cannot shake the feeling that this isn't a "trial", but a demonstrative punishment of children.
Three boys were sentenced to between 7 and 8.5 years in a penal colony. Two others did not live to see their verdict; they were tortured to death in a Russian prison. When looking at the bigger picture, it becomes clear that this is not an isolated incident, but the result of a deliberate policy.
Russia has systematically built a mechanism for dealing with Ukrainian children under occupation. It begins in schools and through "prevention" programs. For instance, the occupiers developed a manual specifically instructing "educators" on how to identify so-called "disloyal" youth. Children are effectively categorized, and any pro-Ukrainian stance is automatically labeled as "extremism."
The next step was changing the legislation to allow criminal prosecution from the age of 14 — specifically under these "extremist" statutes.
And here is the result of that system. Ukrainian teenagers who ended up under Russian occupation and were not rescued in time have received actual prison sentences. These are more lives effectively shattered.
In reality, children in the temporarily occupied territories are left with only two scenarios: either you are militarized and sent to fight against your own country, or, if you disagree, you are thrown into prison.
I want us all to realize this clearly: this is not about fighting terrorism. This is about the systematic breaking of an entire generation — a generation that should be living, developing, and building Ukraine.
Instead, these children are abducted, isolated, tortured, and deprived of basic rights, with all of it "legalized" through court verdicts. Most cynically, they are tried as Russian citizens to erase the very fact of the war crime.
As someone who has worked in child protection for over 20 years, I see several clear truths here:
🔹First: This is a direct attack on Ukrainian identity through its children.
🔹Second: It is a tool of intimidation intended to silence others.
🔹Third: This is a war crime with specific perpetrators and no statute of limitations.
That is why silence is dangerous. Every such verdict is a signal: if the world does not react, this will happen again and again.
We must speak about these children, tell their stories, and pressure international institutions. We must demand their inclusion in exchange lists and ensure accountability for those responsible.
Otherwise, other Ukrainian children will be in their place tomorrow. And then, it won't just be about individual tragedies — it will be about the loss of an entire country’s future.
Source: t.me/riamelitopolua…
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