The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Thursday that Russia had filed a preliminary challenge to Ukraine’s genocide lawsuit against Moscow.
The ICJ, the Supreme Court of the United Nations for disputes between States, allows parties to file preliminary objections if they believe the court lacks jurisdiction.
The complaint, which was tweeted Thursday by the court on Oct. 3, has not been made public.
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In a letter to the United Nations Court in March, Moscow argued that the ICJ, also known as the World Court, had no jurisdiction because the Genocide Convention does not regulate the use of force between states.
This submission marks a change in Moscow’s attitude towards the ICJ case. Russia is now involved in the court, but previously skipped hearings and did not submit documents directly to the court.
Ukraine filed a lawsuit against the ICJ shortly after the Russian aggression began on February 24, saying Moscow’s claims that it was acting to prevent genocide in eastern Ukraine were baseless.
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At a public hearing in March, Ukraine said there was no threat of genocide in eastern Ukraine, and that the UN’s 1948 Genocide Convention, signed by the two countries, does not allow aggression to prevent genocide.
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After those hearings Russia skipped, an ICJ judge ordered Russia to halt its aggression against Ukraine as an emergency measure while it investigates the merits of Ukraine’s claims.
The next step in litigation is a hearing on any objection to court jurisdiction. A date for such a hearing has not yet been set, but it is expected to be several months away.