Convention on racial discrimination: UN Court rejects most of Ukraine's claims against Russia

The International Court of Justice has rejected most of Ukraine's claims against Russia in the case regarding violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague, the decision was read out by the court's president, Joan Donoghue.

Donoghue said that with regard to Ukraine's allegation that Russia violated Article 4 on incitement to racial discrimination, Ukraine has not provided convincing evidence that Russian Federation officials have made statements directed against Crimean Tatars on the basis of their ethnic or national origin.

According to Donoghue, Ukraine has also failed to prove its allegation that the Russian Federation has not complied with its obligation to prevent and punish speech by individuals that incites or justifies racial hatred against Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians, on the basis of their national or ethnic origin.

According to her, the court ruled that Moscow violated the peculiarities of organizing school education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea after 2014. The court "rejects the rest of Ukraine's claims under the Convention," Donoghue said.

Thus, the court dismissed most of Ukraine's accusations against Russia. The court also found that Russia's violation of international law in banning the Mejlis was unproven.

At the same time, the court found that Russia had violated its obligations to not discriminate against the Ukrainian minority in education.

Earlier, the International Court of Justice ruled that Russia has failed to fulfill its obligations to investigate cases of terrorist financing and individuals who may have financed terrorism. At the same time, the court found that Russia had not violated other clauses of the Convention, which were mentioned in the Ukrainian lawsuit.

This means that the International Court of Justice partially found Russia guilty of violating the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

The Court did not award compensation, as requested by Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, on November 8, 2019, the International Court of Justice recognized its jurisdiction in the case of Russia's violation of two conventions. The Court also emphasized that Ukraine had complied with all pre-trial procedures. This decision means that the International Court of Justice can proceed to the merits of the case.

On January 16, 2017, Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia in the International Court of Justice for violation of the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.