Accusations have been flying between Kyiv and Moscow, with Kyiv boldly branding Russia as a terrorist state, alleging its attempts to eradicate the cultural heritage of ethnic Tatars and Ukrainians in Crimea.
Lawyers representing Ukraine at the prestigious United Nations court have categorically rejected Russia’s narrative surrounding the tragic downing of MH17, dismissing it as nothing more than a conspiracy theory.
The case against Russia revolves around claims that Moscow supported separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, while also discriminating against ethnic Tatars in Crimea.
According to Kyiv, Russia’s actions violate a United Nations anti-terrorism treaty, as it allegedly supplied and financed pro-Russian factions, including militias responsible for the fateful downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.
This ill-fated event claimed the lives of all 298 passengers and crew members on board. In November of last year, a Dutch court, after careful examination, convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist in absentia for their roles in this tragedy, handing them life sentences. The court found compelling evidence that Russia held overall control over the separatist forces.
Unsurprisingly, Russia vehemently rejected the Dutch court’s decision at the time. In recent hearings at the International Court of Justice, commonly known as the World Court, Russia continued to challenge Ukraine’s MH17 case, dismissing it as nonsensical and putting forth a plethora of alternative explanations for the incident.
However, Ukraine’s legal team skillfully counterpunched during Monday’s proceedings. One of their representatives, Marney Cheek, firmly conveyed to the court that it had been subjected to a meandering conspiracy theory regarding the MH17 tragedy, a theory that would be more at home in the murkiest corners of the internet.
Furthermore, Kyiv has reiterated its allegations against Russia, branding it a terrorist state that deliberately seeks to obliterate the cultural fabric of ethnic Tatars and Ukrainians in Crimea.
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Russia, on its part, adamantly denies any systematic human rights abuses within the Ukrainian territories it occupies, asserting that it has fulfilled its obligations under the UN treaty aimed at combating the financing of terrorism.
The ball now lies in Russia’s court, as it will have a final opportunity to respond to Ukraine’s allegations on Thursday.
It is worth noting that the World Court case was initiated in 2017, well before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The International Court of Justice is expected to render its verdict on this contentious matter before the close of the year, adding a new chapter to the ongoing legal saga between the two nations.
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