Top UN Judges Look at Genocide in Ukraine

The International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, will examine the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Monday and Tuesday.

The judges do not look at the invasion and the war itself but at the run-up. Russia then accused Ukraine of genocide against Russian-speaking and pro-Russian residents of the renegade regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Moscow first decided to recognize the independence of those two regions and then invaded Ukraine. According to Russia, the raid (“special military operation”) was justified to protect the inhabitants.

Ukraine went to the International Court of Justice. President Volodimir Zelensky says there was no genocide at all and wants UN judges to determine that Russia therefore “had no legal basis whatsoever to take action in and against Ukraine to prevent and punish genocide”.

Ukraine will speak on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, Russia will have the opportunity to respond. The International Court of Justice is located in the Peace Palace in The Hague. No demonstrations have been registered at the municipality.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, also in The Hague, is also looking at the war in Ukraine. Briton Karim Khan is investigating whether war crimes or crimes against humanity have been committed.