Ukraine Files Suit Against Russia for Allegedly Violating UN Conventions

Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia with the International Court of Justice in the Hague on Monday, claiming that Russia had violated the international conventions for the fight against the financing of terrorism and elimination of racial discrimination, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

KIEV (Sputnik) — Kiev filed a case in the International Court of Justice to hold Moscow "accountable for acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression against Ukraine."

"The case has been filed under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," the statement published by the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Ukraine alleges that Russia supplies weapons and provides other forms of "assistance" to pro-independence militias in Donbass, which is a violation of the relevant UN convention.

"In addition, Ukraine alleges that the Russian Federation is violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by engaging in a campaign of discrimination against non-Russian communities living in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, including, in particular, the ethnic Ukrainian and Tatar communities," the statement added.

Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the country’s Foreign Ministry to file a suit against Russia with the International Court of Justice.

While the case is pending, Ukraine asked the court to "impose provisional measures to prevent Russia from compounding its human rights abuses," the ministry's statement said.

The UN International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was adopted on December 9, 1999, and it seeks to promote cooperation to prevent and punish the financing of acts of terrorism. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted on December 21, 1965 and entered into force on January 4, 1969. It has 88 signatories and 178 parties committed to elimination of racial discrimination and promotion of mutual understanding among all races.

In April 2014, Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against pro-independence militias in the Donbas. In February 2015, the two sides reached a ceasefire deal following the talks brokered by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Minsk, Belarus.

Kiev and the Western countries have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering with Ukraine's internal affairs and "military aggression." Moscow has firmly denied all accusations, underlining that it provides no military support to Donbass militias.

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