Lithuania and Ukraine seek Russia's international responsibility at the World Court
In the hearing Ukraine v. russia concerning false allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Lithuanian delegation speaks against russia's persistent defiance of the principles of international law and abuse of the norms of international law. In the hearings that began yesterday, russia has already expressed its position, denying not only the Court's ability to hear the case, but also the applicable international law.
In her speech at the hearing of the Court, the head of the Lithuanian delegation, Vice-Minister of Justice Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė, noted russia's persistent intention to create an alternative international law that denies the sovereignty of other states and the fundamental principles of international law as agreed by the entire international community.
“There have also been cynical interpretations of international law by russia in the history of Lithuania, which have cost our country its freedom and independence, and today, standing at the rostrum of the Court and in the face of russia's aggression, I am expressing Lithuania's solidarity and support for Ukraine and its fight for freedom. We cannot allow international law to be ignored or abused, russia's actions contrary to international law must bring it legal consequences and responsibility, and the international community must unite and use all the instruments of the law," the Vice-Minister said.
This case was initiated in order to prevent russia's unjustified attempts to justify its military aggression against Ukraine by making false claims about the genocide allegedly perpetrated by the Ukrainian authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In the spring of 2022, Lithuania was one of the first, along with 31 other countries, to intervene on the side of Ukraine in order to prevent international law from being used to justify the military aggression against another country by false allegations of genocide.
This week, hearings are taking place in The Hague on the admissibility of the case, with russia challenging the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to hear the case, while Ukraine and all the intervening States clearly recognise the competence of the International Court of Justice, which has been established for the settlement of inter-State disputes and in the interests of peace, to hear disputes under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Since the restoration of national independence, it is the first intervention by Lithuania into proceedings at the International Court of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice seeks that Lithuania actively uses international law instruments and defends its interests and those of its partners to pursue order based on international law and to hold states that violate it accountable.
The Lithuanian delegation led by Dr Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė, Vice-Minister of Justice, consists of Mr Ričard Dzikovič, Head of Legal Representation of the Ministry of Justice, Ms Ingrida Bačiulienė, Head of International Treaties Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Dr Pierre D'Argent, University of Leuven, Prof. Dr Gleider Hernández, Professor at the Catholic University of Leuven and President of the European Society of International Law, Prof. Dr Christian J Tams, University of Glasgow, Dr Inga Martinkutė, lecturer at Vilnius University and attorney at law. Mr Neilas Tankevičius, Lithuanian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Mr Mindaugas Žičkus, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy have also joined the delegation.