ECHR finds Russia guilty in major case brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands
The European Court of Human Rights has found the Russian Federation responsible for large-scale and systematic human rights violations in the occupied territories of Ukraine before and after 24 February 2022, as well as for the downing of Malaysian Boeing flight MH17 over Donetsk Oblast in 2014.
The Russian side was absent during the announcement of the decision, as it had been during previous hearings.
This case combines four interstate complaints against Russia filed with the ECHR by Ukraine and the Netherlands:
The Court unanimously held that it had jurisdiction over the complaints concerning events that took place before 16 September 2022, when Russia's membership of the Council of Europe was suspended.
The Court found the Russian Federation guilty of numerous human rights violations that took place in the occupied territories before and after 24 February 2022, and of their large-scale and systematic nature.
These include arbitrary killings of civilians and prisoners of war, deprivation of liberty, inhuman treatment, use of torture, disregard for the consequences of strikes on the civilian population, systematic suppression of Ukrainian identity, including through the education system, the invasive and abusive security checks, deportation of Ukrainian children and adult civilians deep into the occupied territories or to the territory of the Russian Federation, etc.
The court also established that flight MH17 was shot down over Donbas by a Russian Buk air defence system and that Russia is responsible for it.
Ukrainian judge at the ECHR Mykola Hnatovskyi noted that this is probably the largest and most important case in the history of the ECHR.
This case is unprecedented: 26 states and one international organisation have joined it as third parties.
- Last
- Top
- February, 05
-
-
-
-
- April, 28
-
-
-
-
-
-
- April, 27
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
News by day
11 of July 2025
