The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) heard oral arguments on Wednesday from Ukraine in response to allegations of human rights violations committed by Russia during its occupation of Crimea. Despite being a party to the case, Russia did not send a representative to hear the arguments, given that it ceased to be a party to the ECHR convention in September 2022.
In their arguments, the government of Ukraine claimed that Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014 represented “an act of aggression in violation of international law”. They referred to the occupation as a “coup” carried out by Russia. Furthermore, Ukraine accused Russia of perpetrating a wide array of human rights violations against those who oppose the occupation. The government further emphasized the importance of holding violators accountable for such actions.
Following the occupation that started in 2014, Ukraine initiated legal action against Russia in the ECHR. It alleges that Russia’s control and actions in Crimea have violated several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes rights such as the right to life, prohibition of inhuman treatment and torture, the right to liberty and security, and the right to a fair trial. It’s important to note that in 2014, Russian forces entered the Crimean Autonomous Assembly and issued a declaration of independence from Ukraine, maintaining control of the region since then.
The dispute led to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, gave rise to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and sparked a war that is still ongoing. The ECHR declared earlier this year that applications submitted by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia in this case were partially admissible.
In addition to this case, Ukraine has lodged multiple other cases in the ECHR against Russia. The court notes that Russia has over 7,400 applications pending before it concerning Crimea, eastern Ukraine, the Sea of Azov, and the war in Ukraine.
Read the full coverage on the proceedings here: JURIST – News.