Hearings in the Ukraine vs Russia case resume in The Hague

On September 18, the International Court of Justice will resume hearings in the case of Ukraine v. Russia.

This is stated in a press release from the International Court of Justice.

Ukraine filed a complaint against Russia, which justifies his "special military operation" to "demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine," which he said was committing genocide against the Russian-speaking population in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine.

The dispute concerns the interpretation and application of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

"Kyiv intends to demonstrate that Russia's military intervention has no legal basis and is based on unsubstantiated allegations of genocide," the statement reads.

Thirty-two states have joined the case.

Russia has stated that this court has no right to consider such cases, as the Genocide Convention does not regulate the use of force between states. 

In addition, in their letter to the Court, Russian representatives stated that Putin did not refer to the Convention in his speech on February 24.

"The reference [in Putin's speech] to genocide does not mean a reference to the Convention or an acknowledgement of the existence of a dispute over it. Since the concept of genocide exists in international law regardless of the Convention," the letter says.