World Court sets date to hear Ukraine case against Putin’s ‘genocide’ claim
International Court of Justice to rule on ‘provisional measures’ after Kyiv challenged part of Putin’s pretext for invading Ukraine
01 March 2022 - 22:16
byToby Sterling and Tassilo Hummel
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The International Criminal Court. Picture: SUPPLIED
Amsterdam — The World Court on Tuesday said it will hold hearings on March 7-8 on whether to order “provisional measures” in a lawsuit brought by Ukraine against Russia seeking a halt to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine.
The UN court said in a statement it had sent Russia an urgent communication to prepare in case it does order provisional measures, or immediate steps, to protect Ukraine, as it has requested.
The court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, is the UN’s venue for resolving disputes between states.
Ukraine’s lawsuit filed on Sunday argues that Russia’s claim it invaded Ukraine to prevent a genocide is false.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he had filed the lawsuit at the court over genocide accusations made by Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly asserted that Ukraine committed “genocide” in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, without presenting evidence, and said the invasion, called a “special operation” by Russian officials, was therefore justified to end it.
Ukraine’s case argues that the countries have a dispute over a treaty known as the Genocide Convention, which both have signed. Ukraine argues that no genocide took place in Donbass, and that the treaty in any case does not give one country the right to invade another to prevent a genocide.
At the March 7-8 hearings, judges will not consider questions of jurisdiction or of the merits of Ukraine’s case, but only whether the matter is so urgent they must order some immediate measure in the interests of justice before the case can be heard in full. No date for a decision has been set.
While the court is the UN’s highest court and its rulings are binding, states including Russia have ignored them in the past.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
World Court sets date to hear Ukraine case against Putin’s ‘genocide’ claim
International Court of Justice to rule on ‘provisional measures’ after Kyiv challenged part of Putin’s pretext for invading Ukraine
Amsterdam — The World Court on Tuesday said it will hold hearings on March 7-8 on whether to order “provisional measures” in a lawsuit brought by Ukraine against Russia seeking a halt to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine.
The UN court said in a statement it had sent Russia an urgent communication to prepare in case it does order provisional measures, or immediate steps, to protect Ukraine, as it has requested.
The court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, is the UN’s venue for resolving disputes between states.
Ukraine’s lawsuit filed on Sunday argues that Russia’s claim it invaded Ukraine to prevent a genocide is false.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he had filed the lawsuit at the court over genocide accusations made by Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly asserted that Ukraine committed “genocide” in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, without presenting evidence, and said the invasion, called a “special operation” by Russian officials, was therefore justified to end it.
Ukraine’s case argues that the countries have a dispute over a treaty known as the Genocide Convention, which both have signed. Ukraine argues that no genocide took place in Donbass, and that the treaty in any case does not give one country the right to invade another to prevent a genocide.
At the March 7-8 hearings, judges will not consider questions of jurisdiction or of the merits of Ukraine’s case, but only whether the matter is so urgent they must order some immediate measure in the interests of justice before the case can be heard in full. No date for a decision has been set.
While the court is the UN’s highest court and its rulings are binding, states including Russia have ignored them in the past.
Reuters
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