UN court judgment leaves no doubt that Russia disregards international law – Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

A judgment of the International Court of Justice leaves no doubt that the Russian Federation disregards international law.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said this in a statement on the ICJ judgment in the case against the Russian Federation, Ukrinform reports.

The ministry recalled that on January 31, 2024, the International Court of Justice of the UN delivered its judgment on the merits of Ukraine's case against the Russian Federation under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

"The Court concluded that Russia violated both treaties. This is the first time in its history that the International Court of Justice has reached a final judgment on Russia's violations of international law. […]The judgment of the International Court of Justice leaves no doubt that the Russian Federation is in violation of international law," the ministry said.

It added that Ukraine remains committed to pursuing justice and accountability for all of Russia's illegal acts, including the full-scale invasion Russia launched in 2022.

On January 31, the International Court of Justice issued a judgment in the case of Russia's violation of two conventions - on the fight against the financing of terrorism and on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.

The court ruled that Russia had failed to investigate the facts concerning persons who have committed or are alleged to have committed terrorism financing in Ukraine. Thus, the ICJ found Russia partially guilty of violating the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

Despite this, the court did not award compensation, as demanded by Ukraine.

In addition, the court recognized the peculiarities of the organization of school education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea after 2014 as a violation by Moscow.

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

Charges against Russia included the delivery of weapons and other aid to illegal armed groups; downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17; shelling of residential areas of Mariupol and Kramatorsk; destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha; an explosion during a peaceful gathering in Kharkiv; discrimination against the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities; banning the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people; waves of disappearances, murders, arbitrary searches, detentions; restrictions on education in the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages.