The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Wednesday declared Russia responsible for widespread and flagrant violations of human rights in Ukraine and the downing of the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane on flight MH17.
The ECHR ruled that Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights during the war in Ukraine.
“In none of the previous conflicts has there been such an almost universal condemnation of the flagrant disregard for the foundations of the international legal order established after World War II by the respondent state,” the court stated.
It was emphasized that the nature and scale of the violence in Ukraine and the “sinister” statements by Russia regarding Ukraine’s right to exist have endangered peace in Europe.
The court also held Moscow responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines plane on flight MH17, stressing that this violated the right to life, the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to an effective legal remedy.
“Russia did not take any measures to ensure accurate verification of the missile’s target or to protect the lives of the people on the plane, showing a careless attitude towards civilians who were endangered by its hostile activities,” it said.
The plane on flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014. All 298 people on board were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens.
In 2022, a court in the Netherlands handed down life sentences to three individuals, including Sergei Dubinsky and Igor Girkin from Russia, as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko. They were found guilty of causing the crash, while Russian Oleg Pulatov was acquitted of all charges.
Moscow, however, rejected the ruling and called it scandalous, denying any involvement in what happened to the plane.
