The European Court of Human Rights issued two decisions on complaints against Russia. According to the first decision, Russia violated international law during the conflict in Ukraine. In the second decision, the court ruled that Russia is behind the crash of flight MH17, writes Associated Press. For the first time, an international court has named Moscow responsible for the 2014 tragedy that claimed 298 lives. This is also the first instance since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 where an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights violations, the agency notes.
However, the decision will be symbolic, as the complaints were filed before Russia was excluded from the ECHR in 2022.
The families of the MH17 disaster victims view this decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice, notes AP.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down on July 17, 2014, with a Russian-made Buk missile launched from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew members died, including 196 Dutch citizens.
The decisions made in Strasbourg are not related to the criminal prosecution in the Netherlands, where Igor Girkin (Strelkov), Sergey Dubinsky, and Leonid Kharchenko were convicted in absentia for multiple murders related to their role in the downing of flight MH17.
The rulings will not be the last in the ECHR concerning the war. Kyiv has other cases against Russia, as well as about 10,000 cases filed by individuals against the Kremlin.
In 2022, the highest UN court ordered Russia to cease military operations in Ukraine while the case is under consideration, a process that takes years. Russia ignored the International Court's order.
Photo: AP