by Faina Savenkova for the Saker blog
Good afternoon, Ms Callamard!
My name is Faina Savenkova. I am 13 years old and I live in Donbass. I have been a civil activist for 2 years now and I am fighting for the right of children of Donbass to live in peace. I know that your organisation is not only respected in the world but also forms an independent voice, helping to fight for human rights in the world. I have therefore decided to ask you to conduct an independent investigation and provide a legal assessment of the actions of Ukraine, its authorities and army regarding the violation of children's rights in Donbass and the violation of children's rights by the Ukrainian nationalist website myrotvorets.center (ukr. Peacemaker Centre).
On 4 August 2022, a 10-year-old girl was killed during shelling by the Ukrainian army in the city of Donetsk. It is very frightening and hard for me, like any resident of Donbass, to watch the killing of children. We cannot defend ourselves and at any moment we could be killed, including by banned weapons used by Ukraine. And this is the situation that most children in Donbass are in. I would very much like your organisation to express its opinion on this issue.
As for the 'Peacemaker' website (myrotvorets.center), on 1 June 2021, I made a video appeal to the UN Security Council with a request to stop the war and help children in Donbass to find a peaceful life, for which the Ukrainian website 'Peacemaker' (myrotvorets.center) included my name in its lists of enemies of Ukraine, publishing my personal data and making public my home address, social networks and passport details of my relatives. I then wrote an appeal to UN Secretary General António Guterres and UNICEF. My case received widespread publicity, after which I began to receive threats and insults.
In July 2022, the Meera Terada Foundation identified and handed over to the UN the details of 326 more children whose details had been made publicly available by myrotvorets.center. In my opinion, the 'Peacemaker' website (myrotvorets.center) has grossly violated not only my rights but also those of other children and put our lives in even greater danger. I therefore ask for an investigation and legal review of the work of the 'Peacemaker' website (myrotvorets.center) and its actions. I strongly hope that your organization will help the children whose data is on this site to protect their rights and lives.
Yours sincerely,
Faina Savenkova, 08.08.2022.