Ukraine has officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation in the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Reporting from Ukrainian news agency, Ukrinform:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.
“Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression,” Zelensky said.
He called on the court to order Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for four days. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine. Martial law was imposed. Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization.
From the Ukrainian government:
Ukraine filed a case against the Russian Federation at the International Court of Justice, and a request for the Court to issue an order of provisional measures against Russia. Ukraine seeks an emergency hearing and an order by the Court that Russia must cease its unlawful attack on Ukraine. Russia will have to answer for its behavior at the World Court in the Hague.
The Court has jurisdiction to hear Ukraine’s case, and to order emergency measures, on the basis of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”). The Genocide Convention is one of the most important international treaties, drafted in response to the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. Russia, however, has twisted the concept of genocide, and perverted the solemn treaty obligation to prevent and punish genocide. It has made an absurd and unfounded claim of alledged genocide as a justification and pretext for its own aggression against Ukraine and violation of the sovereignty and human rights of the Ukrainian People.
Ukraine’s case before the ICJ will establish that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is based on a lie and a gross violation of international law, and must be stopped.
As the Ukrainian People continue to bravely stand against Russian aggression, Russia’s lies will be exposed, and Russia’s contempt for international law will be confirmed. Ukraine will bring Russia to account.
