U.N. court to rule on Ukraine's request for provisional measures against Russia

Record ID: 645556

  • Title: U.N. court to rule on Ukraine's request for provisional measures against Russia
  • Date: 18th April 2017
  • Summary: BELBEK MILITARY BASE NEAR SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA (FILE - MARCH 22, 2014) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN ARMOURED PERSONAL CARRIER (APC) BEING DRIVEN THROUGH STREET CROWD WITH RUSSIAN FLAG BEHIND APC RUSSIAN SOLDIER AND APC BY BROKEN FENCE RUSSIAN TROOPS STANDING GUARD TROOPS BEHIND VEHICLE
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 15:48
  • Keywords: Ukraine Russia Crimea annexation ICJ court ruling The Hague
  • Location: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS / HRABOVE, AVDIEVKA AND ZAITSEVE, UKRAINE / SEVASTOPOL AND SHCHYOLKINO, CRIMEA
  • City: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS / HRABOVE, AVDIEVKA AND ZAITSEVE, UKRAINE / SEVASTOPOL AND SHCHYOLKINO, CRIMEA
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CXFPL3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, will rule on Ukraine's request for provisional measures against Russia on Wednesday (April 19).
    Ukraine has charged that Russia is financing separatist groups who carry out "terrorist" attacks in eastern Ukraine and that Russia is discriminating against Crimea's ethnic Tartars.
    Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine, where a war has been raging between the Moscow-backed separatists and forces loyal to Kiev ever since Ukraine's Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovych's deposition.
    Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal requested an immediate court order at a hearing in March to stop what she called Russia's abuses until the judges have heard the case in full.
    The request included a halt of transfers of money, weapons, vehicles, equipment, training or personnel to pro-Russian separatists fighting Ukrainian government forces.
    Ukraine also says in its filing that the pro-Russian separatists were responsible for the bombardment of residential areas and the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014 that killed 298 passengers and crew.
    Russia accused Ukraine of taking it to court under false pretences, using allegations of financing terrorism and ethnic discrimination as a front to litigate Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula three years ago. The annexation brought east-west tensions to their highest pitch in decades.
    Lawyers for Russia urged judges to reject Ukraine's case, since the Black Sea peninsula's annexation was beyond its jurisdiction.
    The U.N. court takes years to hear cases. Although its rulings are final and binding, it has no means of enforcement.
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