Ukraine accuses Moscow of ‘planning acts of genocide’ in UN court filing

 

Kiev maintains that Russia’s claim that it subjected the people of Donbass to “genocide” is baseless

A general view of the International Court of Justice April in The Hague, the Netherlands. © Getty Images/Michel Porro

The highest UN court has confirmed it received an application by Ukraine asking it to launch proceedings against Russia under the so-called “Genocide Convention.” Accusing Moscow of “planning” to commit acts of genocide against Ukranians, Kiev denied accusations that it itself has waged genoicide against the people of Lugansk and Donetsk republics.

In a press release on Sunday, The International Court of Justice - the principal judicial body of the UN - has revealed that Kiev formally requested that the court establishes its jurisdiction over the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine so that its case against Russia can be considered under the provisions of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide.

In its filing, Kiev said that it “emphatically denies” the allegation by the Kremlin that it has targeted the population of the newly-recognized republics in what Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier insisted was a 8-year-long “genocide.”

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“The Russian Federation has falsely claimed that acts of genocide have occured in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine, and on that basis recognized the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and Luhansk People’s Republic’,” Kiev’s application reads, as cited by the court.

Kiev went on to make a counter-claim, accusing Russia of “planning acts of genocide in Ukraine” and arguing that Russia has been “intentionally killing and inflicitng seriois injury on members of the Ukranian nationality.” The application does not provide any specific evidence of “genocide” by the Russian forces. The Russian military has repeatedly stated that it strikes military infrastructure only, while accusing Kiev of trying to use civilians as “human shields.” Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on Sunday, Russia’s envoy to organization, Vasily Nebenzya argued that the “crisis” in Ukraine began not with the launch of Russia's “special military operation” in Ukraine, but “much earlier, when you [the international community] had turned a blind eye on the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists in Donbass.”

The application asks the court to rule on “provisional measures” against Russia “in order to prevent irrepatable prejudice to the rights of Ukraine ans its people and to avoid aggravating or extending the disputa between the parties under the Genocide Convention.”

The International Court of Justice, which is based in the Hague similarly to the International Criminal Court, is vested with the power to rule on legal disputes between UN member-states. However, the UN court does not assign individual responsibility to potential war crimes. While the hearing on “provisional measures” is expected to take place in the near future, the proceedings typically drag on for years.

The Russian military offensive in Ukraine was launched early Thursday, with Putin stating that its goal was to “denazify” and “demilitarize” Ukraine, as well as to “defend” the Donbass republics, that had been recently recognized by Russia. Ukraine, the US, UK, Germany, the EU and NATO have all accused Russia of launching an “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine. The West has since imposed several packages of sweeping sanctions targeting the Russian economy as a whole as well as Putin personally and dozens of other Russian top officials.

https://www.rt.com/russia/550800-ukraine-genocide-court-filing/