Case against Moscow can proceed, rules ICJ

The Hague, February 2

The United Nations’ top court said on Friday it had jurisdiction to rule on a request by Ukraine for a declaration that Kyiv is not responsible for genocide.

The ruling comes in a case filed by Ukraine alleging that Moscow used trumped-up claims of genocide to justify its invasion nearly two years ago.

The ICJ said it did not have jurisdiction in two other aspects of Ukraine’s case — claims that Russia’s invasion violated the 1948 genocide convention and that Moscow’s recognition of two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine also amounted to a breach of the convention.

Kyiv claims that Russia breached the landmark 1948 convention by using trumped-up claims of genocide in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as a pretext for attacking Ukraine nearly two years ago. Ukraine also accuses Moscow of “planning acts of genocide.” Moscow rejects the allegations and argued last year that the court should throw out the case before even considering the merits of Kyiv’s claims.