Hearing in the UN Court: “Genocide as a weapon of the Kremlin”

An oral hearing in the case of Ukraine v. Russia began on March 7 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the UN International Court of Justice is located. Representatives of the Russian Federation did not appear at the meeting.

We bring to your attention the speech of Anton Korynevych, agent of Ukraine in the UN Court.

Photo-flot2017.com.

“Today we are here in this building called the Peace Palace. At this time, my country is suffering from war and aggression.

I am standing here in a room called the Great Hall of Justice, but at home, my compatriots see only injustice when Russian bombs and missiles fall on our cities. While I stand before the Court, Ukrainians are being killed.

Millions of people are in immediate danger. The UN Commissioner for Human Rights speaks of significant civilian casualties.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has forced more than 1.5 million people to flee the country. They became even more internally displaced, ie went to other parts of Ukraine. About 15,000 people, mostly women, and children hid in the tunnels of the Kyiv metro. Babies are born underground, while hospitals are shelled upstairs.

All this is a terrible reality that the people of Ukraine are facing now.

It is not the first time Ukraine has experienced Russia’s disrespect for international law. The world now understands the depth of this disrespect and the level of its cruelty.
The fact the Russian seats in this hall are empty speaks for itself. They are not in this Court, but they are waging an aggressive war against my country. This is how Russia resolves disputes. Instead, Ukraine has a different position and respects international law and this Court.

But even Russia knows that international law matters. Why else would Russia try to justify its aggression?

Russia claims that this war should “stop the genocide.” On the morning of February 24, the President of Russia, ordering the invasion of Ukraine, said that “we must stop this atrocity, this genocide.”

The “goal” of the war, he said, was to “protect” people from “genocide.” It is a terrible lie. Putin is lying, and Ukrainians are dying.

It is not Ukraine that is committing genocide, but Russia and its political leadership and army are committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ukraine.

In the last two weeks, many people have remembered World War II. I have heard others say that Europe has not seen such aggression and conflict since World War II. Instead, Russia is now tarnishing the memory of the Holocaust by declaring Ukraine “denazified.” Although it is appropriate to mention the Second World War now, for another reason: in that war, Ukrainians and Russians fought and died together to stop evil.

Then, in the ashes of Europe, the world built modern pillars of international law.

In the last two weeks, many people have remembered World War II. I have heard others say that Europe has not seen such aggression and conflict since World War II. Instead, Russia is now tarnishing the memory of the Holocaust by declaring Ukraine “denazified.” Although it is appropriate to mention the Second World War now, for another reason: in that war, Ukrainians and Russians fought and died together to stop evil.

Then, in the ashes of Europe, the world built modern pillars of international law.

The two pillars are the most important. The world witnessed aggression, and the response was the UN Charter (which prohibits aggression). The world witnessed the Holocaust, and the response was the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The world has said “never again” to the twin evils of Nazism: aggression and genocide.

Russia has distorted these words. Russia views genocide as a weapon. It uses one pillar of the modern legal order to destroy another. Russia lied about genocide to justify its crime of aggression, Russia desecrated the Convention on the Prohibition of Genocide.

Madam President, members of the Court, the case initiated by Ukraine is simple. Russia accuses Ukraine of genocide, and Ukraine strongly denies this allegation, and we will prove it. Russia claims non-existent genocide as a pretext to invade a sovereign state.

I propose to Russia that we resolve our dispute as a civilized nation. Put down your weapons and present your evidence. Ukraine respects this Court and complies with its orders.

But Russia must also do it.

If Russia does not want to return to international law, the Court has the right to act. Moreover, the Court is obliged to act. (…)

If ever there was a time in history when the Court had to exercise its power to approve an urgent decision on interim measures, that is the moment. “

The speech is presented with minor technical reductions. Translation – European Pravda.