Current:Home > FinanceUkraine lawyers insist that UN’s top court has jurisdiction to hear Kyiv’s case against Russia-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Ukraine lawyers insist that UN’s top court has jurisdiction to hear Kyiv’s case against Russia
View Date:2025-01-15 02:36:34
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Ukraine insisted Tuesday that the United Nations’ highest court has jurisdiction to hear a case alleging that Moscow abused the genocide convention to justify launching its devastating invasion last year.
Kyiv wants judges at the International Court of Justice to order Russia to halt its attacks and pay reparations. But it appears unlikely Moscow would comply. Russia has flouted a binding interim order issued by the court in March last year to end its invasion.
“Russia’s defiance is also an attack on this court’s authority. Every missile that Russia fires at our cities, it fires in defiance of this court,” the leader of Ukraine’s legal team, Anton Korynevych, told the 16-judge panel.
Kyiv filed the case shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. It argues that the attack was based on false claims of acts of genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine.
“Russia is waging war against my country in the name of this terrible lie that Ukraine is committing genocide against its own people,” Korynevych said.
“This lie is Russia’s pretext for aggression and conquest. Russia has presented no credible evidence. It cannot. In reality, Russia has turned the Genocide Convention on its head.”
Russia outlined its objections to the case on Monday, with the leader of Moscow’s legal team, Gennady Kuzmin, calling it “hopelessly flawed and at odds with the longstanding jurisprudence of this court.”
Ukraine’s case is based on the 1948 Genocide Convention, which both Kyiv and Moscow have ratified. The convention includes a provision that nations which have a dispute based on its provisions can take that dispute to the World Court. Russia denies that there is a dispute, a position Ukraine rejects.
The International Court of Justice hears disputes between nations, unlike the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals criminally responsible for offenses including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In March, the ICC issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the abduction of Ukrainian children.
In an unprecedented show of international solidarity, 32 of Ukraine’s allies will make statements Wednesday in support of Kyiv’s legal arguments.
The court’s panel of international judges will likely take weeks or months to reach a decision on whether or not the case can proceed. If it does, a final ruling is likely years away.
In his opening statement, Korynevych outlined what is at stake for his country, telling judges that “573 days ago, Russia launched a brutal, full scale military assault on Ukraine. This is a war of annihilation. Russia denies the very existence of the Ukrainian people. And wants to wipe us off the map.”
___
Find AP’s stories about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
veryGood! (78719)
Related
- Golden Bachelorette: Joan Vassos Gets Engaged During Season Finale
- Chinese court to consider compensation for people on missing Malaysia Airlines flight, relative says
- Woman convicted of killing pro cyclist Anna ‘Mo’ Wilson gets 90 years in prison. What happened?
- Officer fires gun in Atlanta hospital while pursuing vehicle theft suspect
- About Charles Hanover
- How 'Fahrenheit 451' inspires BookPeople of Moscow store to protect books and ideas
- Israel considering deal with Hamas for temporary Gaza cease-fire in exchange for release of some hostages
- California fugitive sentenced for killing Florida woman in 1984
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- Ravens vs. Bengals Thursday Night Football: Baltimore rolls in key AFC North showdown
Ranking
- Song Jae-lim, Moon Embracing the Sun Actor, Dead at 39
- Donald Glover says fans will be 'shocked' by 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' TV series
- California fugitive sentenced for killing Florida woman in 1984
- Charissa Thompson saying she made up sideline reports is a bigger problem than you think
- Darren Criss on why playing a robot in 'Maybe Happy Ending' makes him want to cry
- Leonardo DiCaprio Shares How He Thanked Sharon Stone for Paying His Salary
- Indian troops kill 5 suspected rebels in Kashmir fighting, police say
- Dana Carvey’s Wife Paula Remembers “Beautiful Boy” Dex After His Death at 32
Recommendation
-
Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
-
Struggling with what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? These tips can keep the host happy.
-
Struggling with what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? These tips can keep the host happy.
-
Man convicted in death of woman whose body was found in duffel bag along rural road
-
Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon’s 5th District, will be state’s first Black member of Congress
-
'Golden Bachelor' Fantasy Suites recap: Who ended up on top after Gerry's overnight dates?
-
Emma Chamberlain Details New Chapter After Breakup From Role Model
-
Dwyane Wade Reveals the Secret to His and Gabrielle Union's Successful Marriage