Appeal to HCCH November 17, 2019
Ms. Gérardine GOH ESCOLAR First Secretary HCCH
Nicolas Cheropoulos
Dansbanev. 28
126 31 Stockholm
Sweden
Email: nicolas.cheropoulos@gmail.com
Cell Phone: +46739859184
To Whom It May Concern,
I respectfully submit this letter in relation to an ongoing international child abduction case involving my two daughters, Anthie (born 2012) and Alexandra (born 2015), who were unlawfully taken from Sweden to the Republic of Belarus by their mother, Ms. Liudmila Trafimovich, on 18 April 2017. Despite the clear applicability of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and despite my immediate initiation of return proceedings, my daughters remain wrongfully retained in Belarus after more than two and a half years.
I am a citizen of Greece and a long-term resident of Sweden. Both of my daughters were born in Sweden, are Swedish citizens, and lived their entire lives there prior to their removal. The return request was submitted in full compliance with the Hague Convention, and I attach confirmation from the Central Authority of Belarus dated 10 May 2017 acknowledging receipt of the request.
Since the outset of proceedings, I have been subjected to what I must now describe as a systematic denial of justice within the Belarusian legal and administrative framework. The treatment I have received from judicial and governmental authorities in Belarus is inconsistent with international legal standards, particularly the principles of due process, the best interests of the child, and the obligations arising under the Hague Convention.
HCCH Child Abduction Convention – Practice of Application Minsk 2019.05.21
My legal team—comprising Ms. Elena Mashonskaya in Belarus and Ms. Martha Poni in Greece—have encountered persistent obstruction, inordinate delays, and procedural irregularities throughout this process. The Belarusian courts and authorities have disregarded the applicable treaty obligations and have shown overt unwillingness to cooperate with their Swedish counterparts or to uphold the rights of my children under international law.
The gravity of the situation is exacerbated by the refusal of the Belarusian Central Authority to engage constructively with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite multiple formal communications. Similarly, high-level meetings—such as the human rights roundtable in July 2019—resulted in no substantive comment or cooperation from the Belarusian side on issues of child abduction and human rights violations.
I have also written directly to the Minister of Justice of Belarus, Mr. Oleg Leonidovich Slizhevskiy, raising my serious concerns about the failures of the judicial process and the lack of compliance with the Hague Convention. I received only a perfunctory bureaucratic response, which redirected me to the same Central Authority that had already failed to act in accordance with the Convention.
Furthermore, the prolonged separation has now led to a total erosion of my daughters’ Greek and Swedish language skills, due to the mother’s refusal to permit language support. My repeated offers to fund professional lessons were ignored. As a result, I am no longer able to communicate with them, even by phone, as they now speak only Russian—a language I do not know. The emotional damage inflicted on the children and me is incalculable, and the Belarusian authorities have demonstrated no concern for this harm.
One of the most troubling developments was my discovery—only after months of formal inquiries—that my elder daughter had been placed in a religious institution affiliated with a monastery. This decision was taken unilaterally by the mother without my knowledge or consent. I was first required to “prove” my paternity, despite my known and established role in ongoing litigation.
This requirement added insult to injury and resulted in a five-month delay before I received any information. While I personally hold religious beliefs, I fundamentally object to my children being placed in religious schooling without transparency, dialogue, or consent, particularly under such restrictive and ideologically narrow circumstances.
I have repeatedly informed the authorities of Ms. Trafimovich’s sudden shift toward religious extremism and my concern that this change in worldview may be affecting the well-being and autonomy of the children. These warnings have been ignored. My children are now effectively isolated, voiceless, and deprived of contact not only with me, but with their cultural, linguistic, and national identity.
This pattern of neglect, disregard, and state inaction raises profound concerns regarding the Republic of Belarus’s compliance with its international legal obligations. The actions and omissions of the Belarusian authorities not only violate the spirit and letter of the Hague Convention, but also undermine fundamental human rights protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to family life, the right to cultural identity, and the child’s right to express their views freely.
As the Minister of Justice is responsible for oversight of the judiciary, his office bears responsibility for ensuring that Belarusian courts act in accordance with international standards. Public statements by Mr. Slizhevskiy regarding the importance of protecting children’s rights are irreconcilable with the realities I have experienced during nearly three years of litigation.
Given the consistent disregard for procedural norms, the lack of due process, and the violation of my and my daughters’ rights, I respectfully request the urgent attention and assistance of your office in holding the Belarusian state accountable under its international legal commitments. My daughters deserve the chance to grow up free from coercion, ideological indoctrination, and state-sanctioned isolation. They deserve the love, presence, and care of both parents.
I remain at your disposal for any further clarification or documentation required in support of this case.
Source:
Yours sincerely,
Nicolaos A.A. Cheropoulos
Father of Anthola and Alexandra
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