Ukraine moves to ICJ, seeks 'immediate suspension of Russian military operations'
The Hague (Netherlands), March 7: Ukraine on Monday urged the UN Court - International Court of Justice to intervene in the ongoing conflict with Russia, seeking to "immediately suspend Russian military operations".
Kiev had filed an urgent case at the UN Court over Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against Russia. The Court deliberation began on Monday at 0900 GMT, while Russia is slated to reply on Tuesday.
According to the ICJ press release, Ukraine submitted for the indication of provisional measures after oral arguments were presented by Kiev.
The Russian Federation, however, did not participate in the hearing. In a letter sent on Saturday, the Russian Federation told the Court that it "has decided not to participate in the oral proceedings due to open on 7 March 2022."
The Ukrainian delegation was led by the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Anton Korynevych.
Ukraine has respectfully requested that the Court indicate provisional measures including 'the Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations commenced on 24 February 2022 that have as their stated purpose and objective the prevention and punishment of a claimed genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine', the press release continued.
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It also stated that the Russian Federation must immediately ensure that any military or irregular armed units under its control, direction or influence, as well as any organisations and persons, do not take any steps in furtherance of military operations with the stated purpose and objective of preventing or punishing Ukraine for genocide.
According to the statement, the Russian Federation shall refrain from taking any action and provide assurances that no action will be taken that will aggravate or extend the dispute that is the subject of this Application, or make it more difficult to resolve.
The Court's ruling on Ukraine's Request for the Indication of Provisional Measures will be delivered in a public hearing, the date of which will be notified soon.
The argument is based on the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, to which both Ukraine and Russia are parties.
The International Court of Justice was already dealing with a dispute between the two countries stemming from Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for pro-Moscow insurgents in Donetsk and Lugansk.
This comes three days after Russian forces began military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as separate entities.
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-PTC News
