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Ukraine files suit against Russia for allegedly violating UN conventions

17 January 2017 03:50 (UTC +04:00)

Kiev filed a case in the International Court of Justice to hold Moscow "accountable for acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression against Ukraine."

"The case has been filed under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," the statement published by the ministry said. According to the ministry, Ukraine alleges that Russia supplies weapons and provides other forms of assistance to pro-independence militias in Donbass, which is a violation of the relevant UN convention.

"In addition, Ukraine alleges that the Russian Federation is violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by engaging in a campaign of discrimination against non-Russian communities living in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, including, in particular, the ethnic Ukrainian and Tatar communities," the statement added.

Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the country’s Foreign Ministry to file a suit against Russia with the International Court of Justice. While the case is pending, Ukraine asked the court to "impose provisional measures to prevent Russia from compounding its human rights abuses," the ministry's statement said.