Hague trial: Russia's 'genocide' claim was a false pretext for invading Ukraine
Anton Korynevich (Photo - Office of the President)

Russia tried to justify the invasion of Ukraine with a clearly false claim that it allegedly wanted to stop the "genocide of the Russian-speaking population", the Ukrainian side argued today at the UN highest court in The Hague, Reuters reports.

"The international community adopted the Genocide Convention to protect. Russia invokes the Genocide convention to destroy," said the representative of Ukraine, Anton Korynevych at the court hearing.

The Ukrainian side called on the International Court of Justice to recognize that it has jurisdiction to fully consider the case, and ultimately to rule that Russia is obliged to pay reparations for the invasion under false pretenses.

"Can a state use false allegations of genocide as a pretext to destroy cities, bomb civilians and deport children from their homes? When the Genocide Convention is so cynically abused, is this court powerless? The answer to these questions must be 'no'," Korynevych stated.

On Monday, the International Court of Justice of the United Nations in The Hague began hearings on the lawsuit of Ukraine against Russia with accusations of violation of the latest Convention on the Prohibition of Genocide. Representatives of Ukraine will appear in court on September 19 and 26, and Russians – on September 18 and 25.

Ukraine claims that Russia is abusing international law by falsely claiming that the invasion was allegedly "justified" by preventing "genocide" in eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv also accuses the Russian Federation of planning acts of genocide and that the Russian military is deliberately killing Ukrainian nationals.

REFERENCE. The International Court of Justice is the main judicial body of the United Nations (not to be confused with the International Criminal Court in The Hague). Court decisions are final and binding. If they are not fulfilled, a party can appeal to the UN Security Council, although the Russian Federation has the right of veto there. As early as March 16, 2022, the court had already ruled that Russia should immediately suspend hostilities until the trial began, but the verdict was ignored in Moscow. Last year, Yugoslavia was tried twice for genocide, and now the case against Myanmar is under consideration.

The lawsuit against Russia, which is being considered by the International Court of Justice of the United Nations from September 18, was filed a few days after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022.

In January 2017, Ukraine also filed a lawsuit in The Hague against Russia in connection with its illegal actions in Crimea and Donbas, and on July 20, 2014, Kyiv stated that Russia was involved in the financing of international terrorism.

The HagueInternational Court of JusticeUN World Court