The ECHR found Russia guilty of human rights violations in Ukraine and in the MH17 disaster

The European Court of Human Rights has found Russia responsible for widespread human rights violations in Ukraine committed as a result of the conflict since 2014, as well as for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Donetsk Oblast. This was announced... it is said / it is being said / it's said / it's being said in the ECHR decision.

This is a joint case of Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia based on four applications (Nos. 8019/16, 43800/14, 28525/20 and 11055/22). Ukraine alleged numerous human rights violations by Russia, while the Netherlands reported Russia's violation of the relevant convention that led to the downing of flight MH17.

The Grand Chamber of the ECHR unanimously ruled that, in connection with the conflict in Ukraine, from May 11, 2014 – when hostilities began – to September 16, 2022 – when Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights – there were systematic violations of a number of articles. These include violations of the right to life, to education, to freedom and personal security, to freedom of expression, and so on.

The court stressed that the nature and scale of the violence in Ukraine and the statements made by Russia regarding Ukraine's right to exist have jeopardized peace in Europe.

"None of the conflicts previously considered have provoked such a virtually unanimous condemnation of the respondent state's blatant disregard for the foundations of international order established after World War II," the document states.

The court recognized that Russia had jurisdiction over the territory of Ukraine it occupied. It also concluded that Russia is responsible for the actions and inaction of Russian military and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

The vast amount of evidence presented to the court and considered in its entirety demonstrated the existence of interconnected practices of clearly unlawful conduct by the Russian armed forces, occupation administrations, separatist armed groups and formations throughout the territory of Ukraine.

In particular, this refers to military attacks, executions of civilians and prisoners of war, torture, forced labor, so-called filtration measures, forced displacement of the population, persecution of religious groups, violence against journalists, forceful dispersal of protests, deportation of Ukrainian children, discrimination based on political beliefs and national origin, and so on.

Regarding application No. 28525/20 concerning the downing of flight MH17, the court ruled that Russia had taken no measures to ensure a proper investigation into the origin of the missile or to preserve the lives of those on board, demonstrating a contemptuous attitude towards civilians who were at risk as a result of its actions.

The aggressor state also failed to conduct an effective investigation into the downing of the plane and did not cooperate with the Joint Investigation Group, releasing false or fabricated information and choosing tactics to obstruct attempts to determine the cause and circumstances of the disaster.

Due to Russia's failure to take measures to ensure safety at the disaster site, it took eight months to complete the search and recovery process of the bodies of the victims.

Some relatives were forced to bury fragments of their loved ones' bodies; in some cases, relatives continued to receive body parts after burials. In two cases, the victims' bodies were never found, according to the document.

UPDATED AT 15:25. Margarita Sokorenko, the Ministry of Justice's representative for ECHR cases. responded reacted reacted to on the court's decision. She called it "unprecedented".

Sokorenko stated that the ECHR pointed out the following:

→ the unprecedented nature and connection to the overall context of armed aggression against Ukraine;

→ Russia is waging a campaign to destroy Ukraine as such and as a subject of international law, which has no right to exist;

→ the incompatibility of the Russian regime with the principles of existence of the states of the Council of Europe.

Sokorenko also listed a summary of human rights violations recognized by the ECHR as a result of its consideration: kidnapping, illegal arrests, holding civilians captive, cruel treatment and torture of civilian prisoners and Ukrainian prisoners of war; the policy of expelling the Ukrainian population from occupied territories, including Ukrainian children; systematic obstruction of the use of the Ukrainian language; violation of the rights of relatives of those killed in the downed MH17.

• On July 17, 2014, over the territory of Donbas controlled by terrorists was shot down Boeing 777 flight MH17, Amsterdam – Kuala Lumpur: died / perished / were killed all 298 people on board.
• Conclusion investigation the airliner was shot down by a "BUK" missile from the 53rd brigade of the Russian army. In the summer of 2019. published / made public / released the names of those who, according to the investigation, are involved in the tragedy: Russians Igor (Strelkov) Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.