International Court of Justice releases details of Ukraine’s lawsuit against Russia

Ukraine accuses the Russian Federation in systematic financing of terrorist activities as well as calls upon the court institution to hold Russia liable for violating the respective UN Conventions (International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination).

The information was released by the UN’s highest judicial organ, reports “Europeiska Pravda”. Ukraine requests the Court “to adjudge and declare that the Russian Federation, through its State organs, State agents, and other persons and entities exercising governmental authority, and through other agents acting on its instructions or under its direction and control, has violated its obligations under the Terrorism Financing Convention by supplying funds, including in-kind contributions of weapons and training, to illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine,” reports the International Court of Justice. The list of the terrorist groups supported and financed by the Russian Federation includes the “DPR”, “LPR”, “Kharkiv Partisans” as well as associated groups and individuals.

Ukraine’s other claims to the Russian Federation as to terrorism financing include “failing to take appropriate measures to detect, freeze, and seize funds used to assist illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine”, “failing to investigate or prosecute perpetrators of the financing of terrorism” as well as non-provision of support to Ukraine in conducting respective investigation.

The biggest bloc of claims in the Ukrainian lawsuit regards human rights violations of the Crimean Tatars by the Russian authorities as well as by the de-facto Crimean authorities controlled by Russia. Kyiv calls to hold Russia liable for systematic discrimination and inhuman treatment of representatives of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities; holding an illegal referendum amid a climate of violence and intimidation; ban of Mejlis and persecution of its leaders; support and direct participation in abduction and killing of Crimean Tatars; intimidating Crimean Tatars through ransacking their homes and detentions; impeding Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian-language media; oppressing education activities in Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages as well as banning assembly of representatives of the above communities. For the time when the case will be considered Ukraine calls upon the International Court of Justice to forbid Russia to make further actions that will deteriorate the situation. In its lawsuit against the Russian Federation Ukraine calls upon the Russian authorities to stop supporting the armed groups in Ukrainian territory; to make reparation to all affected by the actions of Russia-backed armed groups; to fully restore the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities in their rights in the occupied territory of Ukraine, namely in Crimea and Sevastopol.

UCMC has used the UNIAN publication, original post here.