The trial of the Russian Federation for the genocide of Ukrainians: can the Kremlin refuse to participate
Oleksandr Pavlychenko, the executive director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, told whether the Kremlin can refuse to participate in the trial of the Russian Federation for the genocide of Ukrainians and from the implementation of the Hague decision in this case.
– The Russian Federation can object only to the merits of the case and jurisdiction. If it objects to the case being considered by the Hague Court, it can be offered to transfer the case, with clear explanations and evidence as to why it is unacceptable for the Russian Federation, – Pavlichenko explained.
He specified that such grounds actually do not exist and, accordingly, Russia, no matter what it says, will not be able to achieve a shift in the terms of consideration of the case in this court – it works according to clear rules.
– The refusal of the Russian Federation to participate in the process and to recognize the jurisdiction of this court entails raising the question of the role of the Russian Federation as a member and subject of the UN. If she refuses to carry out decisions that are binding on all members of the organization, she puts herself outside the boundaries of this organization. This is an important decision and a precedent that can simply throw the Russian Federation out of all diplomatic platforms, including the UN, – the executive director emphasized.
