Russia Files Lawsuit Against Ukraine

The European Court of Human Rights has fully rejected the claims in the case of "Russia against Ukraine" (case number 36958/21), as reported by the press service of Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice.

After thoroughly examining the materials and evidence presented by the Russian Federation, and considering Russia's conduct and the lack of any cooperation since March 2022, the court completely dismissed the claim and removed it from the case registry, according to the Ministry’s announcement.

In its complaint, Russia accused Ukraine of practices involving "murders, abductions, forced relocations, interference with voting rights, restrictions on the use of the Russian language, and attacks on Russian embassies and consulates." Russia also attempted to attribute responsibility for the downing of the MH17 aircraft to Ukraine, arguing that Ukraine "did not close its airspace." Furthermore, Russia complained about the blockage of the North Crimean Canal and requested that the ECtHR implement interim measures, including compelling Ukraine to restore water supply to Crimea and cease the "violations" against the Russian language. However, the court immediately rejected these claims, clearly indicating that Russia failed to provide evidence of a "serious risk of irreparable harm to fundamental human rights under the European Convention."

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Justice Irina Mudryan noted that Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe in March 2022 did not prevent the ECtHR from continuing to examine cases against Russia that were already within its jurisdiction: "The ECtHR has clearly signaled that it will continue to administer justice."