Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Rejects Ukraine's Case Over Rebel Support at UN Court

Mikhail Pochuyev / TASS

Russia told a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday that the court lacks jurisdiction in a case filed by Ukraine against Moscow over its alleged support of pro-Russian separatists in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

In a 2017 filing to the ICJ, also known as the World Court, Ukraine asked judges to order Russia to stop alleged funding and equipping of pro-Kremlin forces and halt alleged discrimination of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group.

Moscow has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine and says Kiev’s claim is a roundabout way of having the court rule on the legality of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces has claimed roughly 13,000 lives.

"The case brought by Ukraine should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction," Dmitry Lobach, Russia’s ambassador-at-large who is representing Moscow in the case, told the court. He denied Ukraine's accusation that Russia was involved in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-held Ukraine in July 2014 and had thereby violated the U.N. anti-terrorism convention.

Kiev had failed to show that Moscow had the "intent and knowledge" required by the convention which would trigger jurisdiction of the court, he said.

The airline crashed after being hit by a Russian-made Buk missile, killing 298 passengers and crew.

Lobach said a six-country investigative team led by the Netherlands — which concluded that the launcher carrying the surface-to-air missile had come from a Russian base — gave “no answer why the aircraft was shot down and who was responsible.”

This week’s hearings will focus only on the question of jurisdiction, a decision on which could be rendered late this year or early in 2020.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more