Ukraine files lawsuit against Russia with ECHR

 “The Government of Ukraine fulfilled the instructions of the Court and filed a comprehensive application on the case #55855/18 [over the violation of rights of captured Ukrainian sailors] on January 7, 2019,” Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine, Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights Ivan Lishchyna posted on Facebook.

He added that the Government of Ukraine called on the ECHR to recognize the fact of the violation of rights of 24 Ukrainian sailors during an illegal attack of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian ships, wounding and capturing the sailors in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018, their illegal detention in the penitentiary facilities of the Russian Federation and criminal prosecution. The Government of Ukraine considers that Articles 2, 3, 5, 6 and 38 of the European Convention on Human Rights were violated.

As reported, on November 25, Russian border ships committed the acts of aggression against three Ukrainian ships heading from the port of Odesa to the port of Mariupol. The Russian special forces fired on and seized three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait and 24 sailors aboard.

Late December, three wounded sailors were delivered to the Matrosskaya Tishina remand prison. Another 21 sailors currently stay in Moscow's Lefortovo remand prison.