Hague court starts hearings on Ukraine's genocide claim against Russia

The International Court of Justice in The Hague has resumed hearings in Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia over the Genocide Convention.

This was reported by The Guardian.

It should be noted that Ukraine filed the lawsuit a few days after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

In particular, Ukraine demands that Russia be held accountable for distorting the concept of genocide.

Kyiv argues that Russia is abusing international law by claiming that the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in the Donbas. Therefore, the Kremlin used this as a pretext to launch a full-scale aggression.

It should be added that Russia called on the World Court to close the case of genocide in Ukraine. The aggressor country claimed that the court allegedly did not have the appropriate jurisdiction.

The hearings, which will last until September 27, will not delve into the merits of the case, but will instead focus on legal arguments over jurisdiction.

Although Russia has so far ignored the ICJ's orders to cease hostilities and the court has no way to enforce its rulings, experts say a final decision in favor of Ukraine could be important for any future reparations claims.

Ukraine is trying to prove that Russia violated the 1948 Convention, as the Kremlin justifies its invasion by allegedly preventing a "genocide" of Russians by Kyiv.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 18/09/2023