The European Court of Human Right has ruled that Russia violated international law in Ukraine, marking the first time an international court has found Moscow responsible for human rights abuses since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, Court President, Mattias Guyomar said that Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that “killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror.”
Guyomar noted that the judges found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale.
“The use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture.”
Mattias Guyomar
Judges at the European Court of Human Rights also ruled that Russia was behind the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), the first time Moscow was named by an international court as being responsible for the 2014 tragedy that killed 298 people.
The Netherlands appealed to the international court to establish Russia’s responsibility for shooting down the plane.
According to the Court, Russia failed ot take action to prevent human suffering as a result of the missile launch.
Furthermore, the Court criticized the Russians’ failure to cooperate with the investigation into the circumstances of the downing.
The Netherlands requested information multiple times, but did not receive it. Russia still denies involvement in the downing of the passenger plane.
Judges at the Strasbourg court are ruling on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia, encompassing a wide range of alleged human rights violations relating to the conflict, including the downing of MH17 and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
Any decision will be largely symbolic. The complaints were brought before the court’s governing body expelled Russia in 2022, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice.
The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist Moscow-aligned rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens.
In May, the United Nations’ aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster.
The rulings won’t be the last from the EHCR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin.
Court Ruling Hailed
Caretaker Prime Minister, Dick Schoof said on X that the fact that the European Court of Human Rights has also held Russia responsible for the downing of flight MH17 “is an important step towards justice.”
“My thoughts today are with all the bereaved families who have been missing their families, loved ones, and friends for over ten years.”
Dick Schoof
Caretaker Minister Caspar Veldkamp of Foreign Affairs agreed that the ruling was a step towards justice. “But the book is not closed yet, Justice works very slowly,” he added.
He noted that The Netherlands will continue to “do everything” to obtain justice for the crash.
Veldkamp acknowledged that the Netherlands cannot alleviate the suffering of the bereaved through its continued efforts. He noted, “But it is important that it has been unanimously and independently determined that Russia is responsible.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Court’s ruling means that further steps are possible, such as claiming compensation.
Piet Ploeg, Chairman of the Vliegramp MH17 foundation opined that for the surviving relatives of the victims of flight MH17, it is “a tremendous comfort” that the Court has held Russia responsible for shooting down the plane.
“It is recognition of what we, as relatives, have known for a long time. Yet it is important to receive that recognition. A country can’t just get away with this.”
Piet Ploeg
The fact that the Court’s 17 judges were unanimous also meany a great deal to Ploeg. He called it a “tremendous ruling” and hopes it will have a global impact on how countries deal with Russia. “Let’s also hope the world learns from this,” Ploet said.
However, he does not expect the Russian government to acknowledge its guilt, saying, “As long as the rest of the world knows. This should also have an impact on global opinion of Russia’s actions.”
The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent’s foremost human rights institution.
READ ALSO: Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns
