"Ukraine v. Russia": hearings begin at International Court of Justice in The Hague
The International Court of Justice of the United Nations will hold public hearings from June 6 to 14, 2023, in the case of the Russian Federation's violation of two conventions on the fight against the financing of terrorism and the prohibition of all forms of racial discrimination.
As reported by Ukrinform, the hearing will be dedicated to the merits of the case.
There will be two rounds of statements by the parties:
- On June 6 and 12, the legal team of Ukraine will speak,
- June 8 and 14, Russia.
The hearings will be broadcast live in the two official languages of the Court, English and French.
On November 8, 2019, the UN International Court of Justice recognized its jurisdiction in the case of Russia's violation of two conventions. The court also emphasized that Ukraine complied with all procedural pre-trial procedures. This decision means that the International Court of Justice of the United Nations can proceed to consider the merits of the case.
On January 16, 2017, Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia at the International Court of Justice of the United Nations regarding the violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Financing of Terrorism and the Convention on the Prohibition of Racial Discrimination.
Allegations made against Russia include:
- provision of weapons and other types of assistance to illegal armed groups;
- downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17;
- shelling of residential areas of Mariupol and Kramatorsk;
- destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha;
- an explosion during a peaceful gathering in Kharkiv;
- discrimination against the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities;
- banning the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people;
- waves of disappearances, murders, arbitrary searches, and detentions;
- restrictions on the teaching of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages.
We will remind you on March 23, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and Ukraine's Prosecutor's Office signed an agreement to open a representative office of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine.
