European Court of Human Rights Delivers Damning Judgments Against Russia in Ukraine Cases

The European Court of Human Rights has delivered four damaging judgments against Russia in cases brought by Kyiv and the Netherlands, accusing Moscow of committing atrocities in Ukraine dating back over a decade. The judgments, read aloud in a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, found Russia responsible for widespread violations of international law, including the murder, torture, and rape of Ukrainian civilians, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the kidnapping of children. The court's president, Mattias Guyomar, stated that Russian forces breached international humanitarian law by carrying out attacks that killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror.

Key Takeaways:

• Russia was found responsible for widespread violations of international law, including murder, torture, and rape of Ukrainian civilians.
• The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia's refusal to participate in the proceedings was a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights.
• The court found that Russia used sexual violence as a strategy to break Ukrainian morale, with the French judge stating that "the use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture."
• Russia was also found responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on July 17, 2014, which killed all 298 passengers and crew.
• The court found that Russia's refusal to acknowledge its involvement in the disaster and its failure to properly investigate violated international law, causing significant suffering to the relatives and friends of the dead.
• The European Court of Human Rights is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution.
• Russia's departure from the Council of Europe leaves little hope that damages will ever be collected in cases against the country.

Statistics:

• 501-page judgment noting Russia's refusal to participate in the proceedings.
• Over 14,000 people died in the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
• 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin.
• 298 passengers and crew killed in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
• 196 Dutch citizens among the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster.

Sources:

• The Associated Press
• European Court of Human Rights
• Council of Europe
• United Nations
• International Court of Justice
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.