The European Court of Human Rights has finally ruled on Russian War Crimes
Russia systematically violates human rights in Crimea. Despite no immediate direct consequences, this ruling is significant for future cases. Over 7,400 Ukrainians have lodged complaints against Russia regarding the annexation of Crimea, the war in Eastern Ukraine, and Russian attacks since 2022. The Ukrainian government has filed four state complaints against Russia. The Grand Chamber of the Court has now decided on the first of these cases, focusing on the consequences of the occupation of Crimea, not the legality of the annexation itself.
Documenting the Violence
During the oral hearing in December, Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister Iryna Mudra highlighted that numerous human rights violations have been documented in Crimea since 2014:
“Almost all articles of the European Convention on Human Rights have been violated. We are trying to show that these are not isolated cases but part of a pattern of Russian administrative practices that began in Crimea and then spread to other regions of Ukraine.”
The Court’s 17 judges concur. They state in their nearly 350-page judgment that it was challenging to investigate the allegations due to the large number of people, the long period, and the extensive area involved, covering both…
