ECHR to announce ruling today in ‘Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia’ case

According to a Ukrinform correspondent, the decision will be read out during a public hearing at the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg.

This case concerns events in eastern Ukraine beginning in 2014, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The case is based on four inter-state applications: the first two were filed by Ukraine in 2014, relating to systemic human rights violations by Russia in eastern Ukraine, including the abduction and temporary transfer of groups of children to Russia; the third, submitted by the Netherlands in 2020, focuses on the shooting down of flight MH17; the fourth, filed by Ukraine in 2022, addresses human rights violations committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion following February 24, 2022.

Ukraine and the Netherlands claim multiple violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing Articles 2–5, 8–11, 13, and 14, which include the right to life, prohibition of torture, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience, and others.

During the merits stage, 26 member states of the Convention were granted permission to submit a joint written statement and to make oral submissions before the Grand Chamber. Additional submissions were made by Poland and the United Kingdom.

The Court is still examining three more inter-state cases under ‘Ukraine v. Russia’, along with approximately 9,500 individual complaints concerning events in Crimea, eastern Ukraine, the Sea of Azov, and violations tied to Russia’s full-scale invasion.

As Ukrinform previously reported, in June 2024, the ECHR delivered its first ruling on the merits in the case ‘Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea)’, recognizing numerous human rights violations committed by Russia in occupied Crimea.

Photo: ennhri.org