On Monday Russia and Ukraine will come face to face with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is the United Nation’s highest court, for ten days of hearings of genocide and war crimes committed by Vladimir Putin.
Days after the war started on 24 February 2022 Kyiv filed a case against Russia arguing they have abused international law after Moscow labelled their justification to prevent genocide in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow is arguing that Kyiv are using the legal case to win a ruling over Russia’s use of military action.
Moscow has said they want the case to be thrown out and they strongly object to the ICJ’s jurisdiction, the hearing will run on until 27 September.
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Juliette McIntyre, a law lecturer at the University of South Australia and ICJ watcher, said, “It is looking fairly positive for the court to find it has jurisdiction.”
Moscow has thus far ignored the ICJ’s orders to stop their war in Ukraine, the court has no way of enforcing any of their decisions against Russia.
“If the court finds there was no lawful justification under the Genocide Convention for Russia’s acts, the decision can set up a future claim for compensation,” McIntyre said.
The United Nations’ 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such,” Reuters reported.
We reported on Friday that the Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who are investigating war crimes against Russia and Vladimir Putin are to open an office in Kyiv.
The opening of the ICC office in Kyiv brings closer Russia’s responsibility for war crimes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian President said, “The International Criminal Court has opened a field office in Ukraine, and it is the largest ICC office outside of The Hague.”
Zelensky added, “it is this cooperation that helps us bring the moment of justice for Ukraine and all our people who have suffered from this war closer – the moment of lawful and deserved sentences for Russian criminals.”
