Ukraine began work on the return of Bogdan Ermokhin, deported from temporarily occupied Mariupol to the Russian Federation, in September 2023.
Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets spoke about the details in a commentary to Radio Liberty.
According to the ombudsman, active work began after he talked to the guy on the phone, and he confirmed that he really wanted to return home – to Ukraine.
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– I personally and my team began working on the case of Bogdan’s return on September 14 of this year, when I spoke on the phone with Bogdan. Until then, there had been no official appeals to me or to our institutions regarding his return. We knew about this story and kept track of it. But it was after I asked Bogdan a direct question: is he ready to do everything that depends on him to return to Ukraine, and he said “Yes, I really want to” – after that we began to work on this issue, he emphasized Lubinets.
The Ombudsman explained that much depended on Bogdan Ermokhin’s position: “whether he will return or not,” that is, whether the Russian Federation will let him go home.
The guy’s sister Valeria also played a significant role. The Ukrainian side legally issued documents for the sister, stating that she is Bogdan’s official guardian. After all, until yesterday he was a minor.
After this, the documents were transferred to the Russian side through intermediaries.
– They looked at them too. And after that there were no more arguments about whether to return Bogdan,” Lubinets clarified.
The Ombudsman added that Bogdan Ermokhin is in Kyiv. Lubinets noted that the state should make sure that the guy has a place to live, he can continue his studies and “have every opportunity for self-development.”
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Who worked on the return of Bogdan Ermokhin
Dmitry Lubinets explained that he personally negotiated with the Russian side. He addressed the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova.
In addition, representatives of Qatar and UNICEF (UN Children's Fund) were involved in the negotiations.
With the participation of Qatar, it has already been possible to return five children from the Russian Federation. And now work is underway to return other Ukrainian children through the mediation of this country.
And UNICEF, according to Lubinets, “for the first time took part in the return of a Ukrainian child.”
– This was also their desire, our proposal. And the Russian side did not protest against this… On the Russian side, I will even say publicly, I also addressed Moskalkova, and as far as I know, through intermediaries they addressed Lvovo-Belova (the Commissioner under the President of the Russian Federation for children’s rights – Ed.), – Lubinets added.
What is known about the return of Bogdan Ermokhin
The guy’s return to Ukraine became known on November 19. That day he turned 18 years old.
Bogdan Ermokhin is an orphan from temporarily occupied Mariupol. At the time of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, he studied at the Mariupol Higher Metallurgical Vocational School and lived in a dormitory.
After capturing the city, the occupiers first took the guy to occupied Donetsk, and then deported him to the Moscow region, where he was illegally placed under the “guardianship” of a Russian family.
Bogdan Ermokhin tried to return to Ukraine through Belarus, but was detained. The guy’s story gained resonance after he received a summons to the Russian Federation.
Bogdan appealed to President Vladimir Zelensky with a request to help him return to Ukraine.
