In “LPR” and “DPR” children are forced to participate in propaganda events

In February 2017, in the territories controlled by illegal armed groups of “LPR” and “DPR” children and young people were drawn into so-called “patriotic organizations”, events and propaganda.

As stated in the report of the Vostok-SOS about the violations in the occupied territories for February 2017.

According to the published photo and video materials, as well as according to reports of local residents, mainly schoolchildren, students, pensioners, employees of budget organizations and enterprises are involved in mass meetings. The so-called “authorities” use these measures as an instrument of propaganda.

According to human rights defenders, in Lugansk teachers exert psychological pressure on high-school teachers, promoting the benefits of getting the so-called “LPR” passports.

“At the class hour, the teacher said that now it is necessary to receive the “documents in Luhansk on a mandatory basis,” said Maria, a student of 9th grade, whose name was changed for security reasons.

In addition, in “LPR” members of youth public organization (YPO) “Youth for peace” created 17 primary departments in the cities and districts of the “republic”. As of 3 February 2017 the number of members of youth public organization “Youth for peace” is 603 people.

Furthermore, militants initiated a series of mass rallies in February.

Thus, in “DPR” in February 10, 2017 a procession of many thousands was arranged for the funeral of one of the leaders of illegal armed groups, Mikhail Tolstoy (also known as “Giwi”). For this purpose, according to the analysis of photo and video materials, many schoolchildren, students, pensioners, employees of budget organizations and enterprises were brought by buses.

In February 13, 2017 the activists of student labor detachments of “LPR” arranged “flashmob” dedicated to the Day of Russian student detachments, which is celebrated in Russia on the 17th of February. Around 200 representatives of student detachments of the “republic” gathered in the downtown of Luhansk, and made the sentences “Happy RSD Day” (Russian students detachments).

In February 18 in “DPR” another mass event was arranged. This time, in Donetsk they marched on the occasion of the second anniversary of the signing of the UN Security Council resolution on Ukraine in support of the Minsk agreements. Again, pensioners, employees of budget enterprises, schoolchildren and students took part in this procession.

In February 28, 2017 more than seven thousand “republic” residents, according to local media, gathered in a rally in Luhansk to support the demands of the heads of the “LPR” and “DPR” to Ukraine concerning termination of the economic and transport blockade of Donbass. As local residents reported, students began gathering at the square long before the rally started.

As a reminder, constant curtailment of human rights and freedoms and the intensification of political repressions takes place in the occupied Crimea, as well as total militarization of public consciousness, disinformation and cultivation of hatred towards Ukraine in schools.