A Discussion on the Illegal Transfer of Ukrainian Children with Kateryna Rashevska and Olha Yerokhina

January 11 is the National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. Genocide Watch marks this date by highlighting the ongoing illegal transfer and abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. As a part of its genocidal champaign against the Ukrainian nation, Russia has been engaging in the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children since 2014, which has only intensified since the full-scale invasion in 2022. Listen to legal expert Kateryna Rashevska from the Regional Centre for Human Rights in Ukraine and Olha Yerokhina, Press Secretary from Save Ukraine, speak about their work repatriating Ukrainian children and promoting accountability for this crime.

Kateryna Rashevska – legal expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights. She is a PhD in international law. She is a member of the Interdepartmental Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine, the Expert Council at the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Bring Kids Back UA International Task Force.

The expert protects the rights of vulnerable categories of victims of international crimes, namely children, at the CoE, the OSCE, the EU, the OHCHR and the ICC. She is a co-author of four Submissions to the ICC related to international crimes committed against the Ukrainian children by Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova-Belova and Alexandr Lukashenko. Together with the team of the Regional Center for Human Rights, Kateryna developed and now advocates the Concept of a unified legal mechanism for the return of displaced Ukrainian children.

The expert gave public lectures at Georgetown University (Washington), Keene State College (New Hampshire), University of Toronto (Toronto), Warwick University (Coventry), University of Ghana (Accra).

Kateryna actively promotes the interests of Ukrainian children on international platforms. She speaks at meetings of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council. She tours the countries of the Global South to promote the return of children home. She has given more than 400 interviews for national and international media and runs her own column in the leading Ukrainian media Channel 24.

Olha Yerokhina

Olha Yerokhina is a dedicated communications professional and Press Officer for the Save Ukraine Charitable Foundation. She is deeply committed to her mission of rescuing children and families from the devastating consequences of war, believing this to be the cornerstone of preserving Ukraine’s future.
In her role at Save Ukraine, Olha is responsible for crafting impactful speeches and talking points for the foundation’s leadership, preparing them for television appearances, official meetings, and international events in both Ukrainian and English. She oversees the preparation of press materials, builds partnerships through media communication, and develops the public image of the foundation to foster trust among the community and stakeholders. Olha also plays a key role in designing and executing the foundation’s communication strategy and producing content for social media platforms.

Before joining Save Ukraine, Olha built a career in media and communications. She worked as a leading editor for the NTN website and the YouTube channel of the “Svidok” program at Inter TV channel, where she wrote and edited articles, promoted content, and engaged with audiences. As an informational producer for “Svidok” on NTN, she organized filming, coordinated journalists, and communicated with story subjects.
Olha also has experience in journalism and content development, with her work featured in reputable outlets like UNIAN and Focus.ua. She has an extensive background in English language education, running her own courses as an entrepreneur.

A graduate of Mariupol State Humanities University with degrees in Ukrainian Philology and English Language Instruction, Olha has also completed advanced PR and Communication courses at Laba. Fluent in English and Ukrainian, she leverages her expertise to advocate for the rights and well-being of war-affected children and families.

Olha’s dedication to saving lives and restoring hope for Ukraine’s future drives her every action. She firmly believes that protecting and rebuilding the lives of children and families is the most important step in ensuring Ukraine’s resilience and strength.

Mental Health Resources

The content featured in this podcast may be emotionally disturbing and intense. Listener discretion is advised. Please consult this document for mental health resources if needed.

U.S.-Based Resources:

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
• Open Path Collective: https://openpathcollective.org/
• BIPOC Mental Health Resources: https://www.thementalhealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BIPOC-Mental-Health-Resources.pdf

Global Resources:

• Befrienders: https://befrienders.org/
• Find a Helpline: https://findahelpline.com/
• I Call Helpline: https://icallhelpline.org/
• 13 Yarn: https://www.13yarn.org.au/
• Help Guide: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm