Genocide case: UN ICJ accepts Russia's counterclaim against Ukraine

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has decided to accept for consideration Russia's counterclaims against Ukraine under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, rejecting Ukraine's objections to the inadmissibility of Russia's claims.

The Court's press service stated this to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.

The Court's statement specifies the following deadlines for submitting documents: "December 7 2026 for Ukraine and December 7 2027 for Russia."

In its decision of February 2 2024, the Court recognized its jurisdiction under Article IX of the Genocide Convention to examine Ukraine's claim regarding the absence of credible evidence of alleged genocide committed by Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the same time, other parts of Ukraine's claims were deemed to fall outside the Court's jurisdiction.

Russia submitted its counterclaims on 18 November 2024, referring to Article 80 of the Court's Rules. Ukraine challenged their admissibility. However, the Court found that Russia's counterclaims fall under its jurisdiction and are directly connected, both legally and factually, to Ukraine's principal claim.

The decision on the admissibility of Russia's counterclaims was adopted by a majority of 11 judges to 4. The Court also unanimously determined the procedure for the submission of the parties' next written documents and left further procedural steps for a separate decision.

As Ukrinform reported, on 26 February 2022, Ukraine filed an application with the Registry of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to initiate proceedings against Russia regarding a dispute concerning the interpretation, application and fulfillment of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

 In its claim, Ukraine seeks to hold the aggressor accountable for distorting the concept of genocide.

In October 2022, Russia submitted preliminary objections regarding the Court's jurisdiction and the admissibility of Ukraine's application.

In February 2024, the International Court of Justice recognized its jurisdiction in Ukraine's genocide case against Russia.