UN court gives Russia over a year to prepare response to Ukraine's claim

20.11.2019 14:47

Ukrinform

The International Court of Justice in The Hague has ruled that Russia must file by December 8, 2020 its counter-memorial on Ukraine's claim in the case concerning the application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

This is stated in a document published on the Court's website.

"By an Order dated 8 November 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has fixed 8 December 2020 as the time-limit for the filing of the Counter-Memorial of the Russian Federation in the case concerning Application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Ukraine v. Russian Federation). The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision," the document reads.

The International Court of Justice ruled on November 8 that it had jurisdiction in the case of Russia's violation of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Court also emphasized that Ukraine had complied with all pretrial procedures. This decision means that the International Court of Justice may proceed to the consideration of the case on the merits.

On January 16, 2017, Ukraine filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against Russia for the violation of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The accusations made against Russia include the provision of weapons and other assistance to illegal armed formations; the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17; the shelling of residential areas of Mariupol and Kramatorsk; the destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha; an explosion during a peaceful assembly in Kharkiv; discrimination against Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities; a ban on the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people; waves of disappearances, murders, unauthorized searches, detentions; restrictions on teaching Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages.