Global Red Cross suspends Belarus chapter after its chief boasted of bringing in Ukrainian children

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The International Red Cross has suspended the Belarusian chapter after its chief stirred international outrage for boasting that it was actively ferrying Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled areas to Belarus. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies halted the membership Friday of the Belarus branch after it refused to oust its leader Dzmitry Shautsou. He is accused of having breached the Red Cross’ much-vaunted and much-defended standards of neutrality and integrity. The board of the IFRC gave the Belarus Red Cross until Nov. 30 to dismiss him, and said it would suspend the branch if it doesn’t. Shautsou called the decision to suspend the Belarus Red Cross from the IFRC “absolutely politicized.”