KYIV -- Ukraine has sued Russia at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, accusing Moscow of acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" related to its backing separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula



The Foreign Ministry filed the lawsuit late on January 16 at the request of President Petro Poroshenko.

It claims that Russia has violated the UN Convention For The Suppression Of The Financing Of Terrorism by supporting separatists fighting government forces in a war that has killed more than 9,750 people since April 2014.

It also claims that Russia has oppressed Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority whose homeland is Crimea.

"For three years, Russia has been committing the illegal annexation of Crimea, illegal occupation of the east of our country in the territory of [the] Donetsk and Luhansk regions, [and] implementing the policy of elimination and discrimination in Crimea," Poroshenko said at a meeting with Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev and three other top officials.



Armed Russians "have committed numerous terrorist attacks affecting hundreds of thousands of innocent people forced to leave their home," he said.

"Russia must pay the price for its aggression," Poroshenko said.

Ukrainian authorities call the nearly three-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine an "antiterrorist operation," and often refer to those fighting against government forces as "terrorists."

Neither Kyiv nor Russia, which denies it has backed the separatists with troops or weapons despite mounting evidence, has formally declared war.



Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Betsa told RFE/RL that the lawsuit was the result of three years of "titanic work" by Ukrainian authorities. It is the first lawsuit filed with the ICJ by Kyiv, which has sent at least four lawsuits against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.



Ukraine is aware that the ICJ may not consider the lawsuit for years, if ever, Betsa said.

"But we have hope," she said, adding that it is "inevitable" that Russia will bear responsibility "for crimes it has committed."

</s>THE HAGUE: Ukraine has filed a case at the UN’s top court accusing Russia of sponsoring “terrorism” and demanding Moscow pay damages for the shelling of civilians and the downing of flight MH17, officials said on Tuesday.

Kiev has asked the International Court of Justice to “declare that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility, by virtue of its sponsorship of terrorism ... for the acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine,” the court said in a statement.

Ukraine also asked the court to order “full reparation” for the 2014 downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine and “for the shelling of civilians” in certain towns in eastern Ukraine. “Russia must pay its price for the aggression,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday just after Kiev launched the proceedings with the court based in The Hague.

“The Russian Federation has been brutally violating international law for three years,” he added in a statement.

“For three years, Russia has been committing the illegal annexation of Crimea, illegal occupation of the east of our country in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, implementing the policy of elimination and discrimination in Crimea.”

The International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest court, was founded in 1945 to rule on border and territorial disputes between nations.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, accuses its neighbour Russia of triggering unrest by separatist pro-Russian rebels in retaliation for the ousting of Kiev’s Moscow-backed president in February 2014.

Fierce fighting flared in eastern Ukraine and Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern peninsula of Crimea in March 2014.

There had been hopes the war was winding down after nearly the deaths of nearly 10,000 people after several ceasefire accords.

Poroshenko said the filing of the case at the ICJ had resulted from “a long and meticulous work.”

Kiev has asked the tribunal to declare that Moscow has violated its obligations under the Terrorism Financing Convention and an international treaty against racial discrimination.

It urges the tribunal to order Moscow to “immediately and unconditionally cease and desist from all support, including the provision of money, weapons, and training, to illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine.”

It also asks that Moscow be ordered:

- to ensure that illegal arms are withdrawn from eastern Ukraine

- to control its borders to stop acts of “financing of terrorism including the supply of weapons”

- to “make full reparation” for the shelling of civilians in the eastern Ukrainian towns of Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Volnovakha and Kharkiv, as well as for the shooting down of MH17.

- to protect the rights of “all groups in Russian-occupied Crimea, including Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians.”

A Dutch-led international investigation found that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made missile in July 2014 over eastern Ukraine, launched from a field in rebel-held territory.

All 298 on board the routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, mostly Dutch citizens, were killed.

Ukraine files ‘terrorism’ case against Russia was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 18, 2017 and was last updated on January 18, 2017. This news story is related to Print/179923-Ukraine-files-terrorism-case-against-Russia/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Ukraine files ‘terrorism’ case against Russia" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/179923-Ukraine-files-terrorism-case-against-Russia.</s>Russia to defend itself against charges it illegally annexed Crimea in suit seeking damages for shelling of civilians.

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit at the UN's top court accusing Russia of sponsoring "terrorism" and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups - charges Russia denies.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine the following month between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, a conflict in which close to 10,000 people have been killed.

In the case announced on Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Russia of "intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens".

Ukraine further alleged that the takeover of Crimea "brazenly defied the UN Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine's sovereign territory by military force".

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

In Moscow, its foreign ministry was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that Russia would use all available means of legal defence against the suit.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

Ukraine also asked the court to order "full reparation" for the "shelling of civilians" in certain towns in eastern Ukraine and for the July 2014 downing of flight MH17.

READ MORE: Life in the shadows of the Crimea blockade

In September last year, investigators said that the Malaysian airliner shot down in eastern Ukraine had been hit by a missile launched from an area controlled by Russia-backed rebels.

The findings challenged Russia's suggestion that the flight - en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur - was brought down by the Ukrainian military.

All 298 people on board, most of them Dutch citizens, were killed.

No date was immediately announced for hearings in the lawsuit, which is likely to take many months to complete.</s>Ukraine has urged the UN’s top court to order Russia to pay damages for attacks on civilians during its bloody conflict with separatist pro-Russia rebels, accusing Moscow of “sponsoring terrorism”, officials said Tuesday.

In its filing, Kiev accused Moscow of “intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine’s citizens,” the International Court of Justice said.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, accuses its neighbour Russia of triggering unrest by separatist pro-Russian rebels in retaliation for the ousting of Kiev’s Moscow-backed president in February 2014.

Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern peninsula of Crimea in March 2014 and fierce fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine between Kiev’s forces and pro-Russia rebels.

Sporadic violence still flares up despite several ceasefire accords, and nearly 10,000 people are said to have died.

Kiev is also calling on the tribunal to order Russia to halt all shipments of arms and money destined for rebel groups into Ukrainian territory.

Russia had also “brazenly defied” the UN Charter by seizing Crimea, and then attempted to “legitimise its act of aggression” by engineering an “illegal referendum,” the filing said.

“Russia must pay its price for the aggression,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday just after Kiev launched the proceedings with the court based in The Hague.

Moscow has long denied arming the rebels and hit back that the case was just motivated “by political interests” adding Kiev had “shown a lack of will to hold a concrete dialogue.”

“Russia has always condemned in the strongest manner any signs of terrorism and actively fights against it,” the foreign ministry added in a statement.

The court, founded in 1945 to rule in disputes between nations, will now have to decide whether to take up the case. And the legal proceedings are unlikely to have any immediate effect on the ground.

“For three years, Russia has been committing the illegal annexation of Crimea, illegal occupation of the east of our country in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, implementing the policy of elimination and discrimination in Crimea,” Poroshenko said.

Kiev has asked the tribunal to declare that Moscow has violated its obligations under the Terrorism Financing Convention and an international treaty against racial discrimination.

It urges the tribunal to order Moscow to “immediately and unconditionally cease and desist from all support, including the provision of money, weapons, and training, to illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine.”

It also asks that Moscow be ordered:

– to ensure that illegal arms are withdrawn from eastern Ukraine

– to control its borders to stop acts of “financing of terrorism including the supply of weapons”

– to “make full reparation” for the shelling of civilians in the eastern Ukrainian towns of Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Volnovakha and Kharkiv, as well as for the shooting down of MH17

– to protect the rights of “all groups in Russian-occupied Crimea, including Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians.”

A Dutch-led international investigation found that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made missile in July 2014 over eastern Ukraine, launched from a field in rebel-held territory.

All 298 on board the routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, mostly Dutch citizens, were killed.

Moscow said it would “use all means available for its legal defence” if the ICJ agrees to hear the case.

Any proceedings are likely to be lengthy, but the decision would be binding and without appeal.</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations’ highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Moscow of “intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine’s citizens.”

Kiev further alleged that Moscow’s takeover of Crimea “brazenly defied the U.N. Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine’s sovereign territory by military force.”

Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people in eastern Ukraine since it began in 2014. Both Ukraine and the separatists are party to a truce under which both should cease fire and stop advancing.

Russia has been in control of Crimea since it annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 after a hastily called referendum.

No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.

The filing also asked the court to rule that Russia is legally responsible for crimes including the downing of Flight MH17.

An international criminal probe concluded last year that a missile that destroyed the Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014 and killed all 298 people aboard was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there.

Moscow denounced the findings of the Dutch-led inquiry as “biased and politically motivated.”

Ukraine also asked the Hague-based world court to order interim measures while the case is going on, including ordering Moscow to halt the transfer of funds and arms to separatist rebels in Ukraine and to stop its persecution of ethnic Tartars in Crimea.

Rulings by the court are final and legally binding.</s>Ukraine has filed a case against Russia for “acts of terrorism and unlawful aggression” at the United Nations’ highest court.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry launched the action at the International Court of Justice on Monday, claiming that Russia was supplying weapons and other assistance to rebel groups operating in eastern Ukraine.

“As part of its unlawful aggression in Ukraine, the Russian Federation has displayed contempt for the basic human rights of the people of Ukraine,” said foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin.

“We have tried to resolve the disputes through negotiation as required by conventions for more than two years, but the Russian Federation has been unwilling to cease its violations of international law.

“Therefore, we have filed our case to hold the Russian Federation accountable for these violations and to vindicate the fundamental rights of the Ukrainian people under these treaties, to which the Russian Federation is a signatory.”

The separatists have committed “acts of terrorism” with Russian weapons, including the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, a statement from his ministry said.

Bombardment in the cities of Mariupol and Kramatorsk, the shelling of a civilian bus in Volnovakha, and the bombing of a protest in Kharkiv were among other atrocities listed.

The lawsuit alleges that Russia is violating international conventions on financing terrorism and racial discrimination with a campaign against non-Russian communities living in the annexed Crimean Peninsula including enforced disappearances, murders and restrictions on languages and the media.

It calls for compensation in the form of “full reparations” for victims of the downing of MH17 and all listed attacks, as well as of action in Crimea.

Ukraine asked the International Court of Justice to “impose measures preventing Russia from compounding its human rights abuses”, although it is unclear what they would be.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice confirmed it had received the application but offered no further comment.

Kiev is also challenging Moscow's actions on its territory at the European Court of Human Rights, while Ukrainian energy firms Ukrnafta and Stabil have asked the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration to compensate them for investments lost when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine, despite evidence published by Nato. In Moscow, its foreign ministry said Russia would use all available means of legal defence against the suit.

A spokesperson added that it had studied Ukraine's claims but that Kiev had not shown interest in dialogue with Moscow, hitting back with claims it had raised concerns over the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine.

The conflict followed the ousting of Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych in what Vladimir Putin has characterised as an international conspiracy.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 as fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between separatist rebels who seized swathes of territory and Ukrainian government forces.

Almost 10,000 people have been killed in the continuing conflict, which has sparked waves of sanctions and counter-sanctions between the EU and Russia.

The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team found rebels used a Russian Buk missile launcher to shoot down MH17 in July 2014 after apparently mistaking it for an army plane, killing all 298 people on board.

Separatist groups have since denied any involvement in the disaster, while Russian officials have continually dismissed allegations of soldiers or equipment being deployed in Ukraine.

Amid fighting in densely populated areas, civilians have been killed by shelling, mines and bombs, as well as an unknown number dying from a lack of food, water, medicine or healthcare.

Monitors have also recorded reports of human rights abuses including torture, ill-treatment and incommunicado detention, committed with “very limited accountability” and concern over fair trials.</s>Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations' highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups. Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accuses Moscow of "intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens."

Kiev further alleges that Moscow's takeover of Crimea "brazenly defied the U.N. Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine's sovereign territory by military force."

No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.</s>Ukraine has sued Russia at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Moscow of acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" related to its backing separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula The Foreign Ministry filed the lawsuit late on January 16 at the request of President Petro Poroshenko. It claims that Russia has violated the UN Convention For The Suppression Of The Financing Of Terrorism by supporting separatists fighting government forces in a war that has killed more than 9,750 people since April 2014.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Weekday Magazine.</s>Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

[AMSTERDAM] Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of "acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression" in the filing to the International Court of Justice, according to a ministry statement issued on Monday evening.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

The Hague-based court had no immediate comment.

Kiev is also challenging Moscow's actions on its territory at the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights, while Ukrainian energy firms Ukrnafta and Stabil have asked the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration to compensate them for investments lost when Russia seized the Crimean peninsula.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine the following month between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, a conflict in which close to 10,000 people have been killed.

In Monday's filing, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Terrorism Financing Convention "by supplying weapons and other forms of assistance to illegal armed groups operating on Ukrainian territory".

Among the separatists' alleged crimes, the filing cited the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, the bombardment of residential areas in Mariupol and Kramatorsk, and the destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha.</s>KIEV (Sputnik) — Kiev filed a case in the International Court of Justice to hold Moscow "accountable for acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression against Ukraine."

"The case has been filed 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 statement published by the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Ukraine alleges that Russia supplies weapons and provides other forms of "assistance" to pro-independence militias in Donbass, which is a violation of the relevant UN convention.

"In addition, Ukraine alleges that the Russian Federation is violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by engaging in a campaign of discrimination against non-Russian communities living in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, including, in particular, the ethnic Ukrainian and Tatar communities," the statement added.

Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the country’s Foreign Ministry to file a suit against Russia with the International Court of Justice.

While the case is pending, Ukraine asked the court to "impose provisional measures to prevent Russia from compounding its human rights abuses," the ministry's statement said.

In April 2014, Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against pro-independence militias in the Donbas. In February 2015, the two sides reached a ceasefire deal following the talks brokered by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Minsk, Belarus.

Kiev and the Western countries have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering with Ukraine's internal affairs and "military aggression." Moscow has firmly denied all accusations, underlining that it provides no military support to Donbass militias.

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!
Ukraine sues Russia at the International Court of Justice, accusing the latter of being engaged in acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.