On June 6, Ukraine and Russia will go head-to-head at the UN Supreme Court, with judges accusing Russia of violating UN treaties by allegedly aiding pro-Russian separatists identified by the Dutch. Last November, a Dutch court found two Russian men and a Ukrainian guilty of murder in absentia for their role in the downing of Flight MH17, an incident that killed all 298 people onboard. The Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur during a time of escalating fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces on July 17, 2014.
According to the Dutch ruling, Russia had “total control” of Donetsk People’s Republic forces in eastern Ukraine since mid-May 2014. The International Court of Justice, formally known as the World Court, has set a four-day dispute period for the lawsuit, which was filed by Ukraine against Russia in 2017. This is one of two cases brought by Ukraine against Russia in court. The other lawsuit, filed shortly after Russia’s 2022 invasion, centers on Russia’s claims that it invaded Ukraine to prevent genocide.
It usually takes several years for an ICJ case to reach the merits stage. Stephanie van den Berg reported on this story, which was edited by Lisa Schmaker. As a news organization, we adhere to Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.