The European Court of Human Rights will soon reveal what kind of cases it will admit, but it has decided to be able to hear cases against Russia for crimes in eastern Ukraine.
Europe’s top human rights court ruled on Wednesday that it could hear cases from the Netherlands and Ukraine against Russia for crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
The decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), based in Strasbourg, France, represents a significant progress in the efforts of the Netherlands and Ukraine to hold Russia legally accountable for its actions on Ukrainian soil and could pave the way for claims for damages.
The ECHR also indicated that a decision on the type of cases that will be admissible will be issued later.
The ECtHR claims were filed before Moscow launched its triple invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, on February 24, 2022.
Very good news: the decision of the European Court of Human Rights is another important step to discover the truth and bring justice to the victims of the MH17 flight and their families”, wrote the Dutch Minister of Justice, Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius, on the social network Twitter network.
Foreign Minister (MFA) Wopke Hoekstra also hailed the decision as an important milestone in the search for those responsible.
“We will continue to do everything possible to obtain justice for the 298 victims of flight MH17 and their loved onesthe Dutch MFA wrote on Twitter.
The ECtHR indicated that evidence presented at a hearing last year showed that, as of May 11, 2014, parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were “under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federationand that Moscow “had significant influence on the military strategy of the separatists,” including supplying weapons, carrying out artillery strikes requested by the rebels, and political and financial support for them.
The court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to prove the admissibility of most of the Ukrainian claims of rights violations and one claim related to the crash of flight MH17, brought by the Netherlands, and that only a small number of claims were found inadmissible. . .
The Strasbourg court is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the most important human rights institution on the continent. Russia was expelled from the organization last year, in an unprecedented situation, caused by its invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war. However, the ECHR can still hear cases against Russia as long as they are from before the date of your expulsion.
The Strasbourg cases are separate from a criminal indictment in the Netherlands in which two Russian nationals and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia last November of multiple homicides, specifically for their role in the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. , on July 17. 2014.
All 298 passengers and crew died when the Boeing 777 leaving Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine.
In its human rights court case, the Netherlands argues that Moscow played a key role in the downing of flight MH17 and that Russia’s lack of investigation and his lack of cooperation with the Dutch prosecutor, together with his rejection of any involvement, aggravated the suffering of the families and friends of the victims.
Dutch prosecutors say the missile system that brought down MH17 was transported overland to Ukraine from a military base in Russia and returned after use.
Ukraine has brought several cases against Moscow alleging numerous violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, including “unlawful military attacks against civilians which caused many deaths, including the downing of flight MH17 and the summary execution and beating of civilians” and of soldiers who they no longer participated in hostilities. He also accused Russia of kidnapping 85 Ukrainian children.
Source: Observadora
