Russia-Ukraine War, ICJ, & the Genocide Convention

• Date: 01 January 2022

e Indonesian Journal of International & Comparative Law

ISSN: 2338-7602; E-ISSN: 2338-770X

http://www.ijil.org

© 2021 e Institute for Migrant Rights Press

russia-ukrainE War, iCJ, and thE

GEnoCidE ConvEntion

Prabhash Ranjan & Achyuth Anil

O. P. Jindal Global Law School

E-mail: pranjan@jgu.edu.in

e Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of several rules of inter-

national law such as the prohibition on the use of force in international rela-

tions given in the U.N. Charter. Russia has justied its aggression alleging that

Ukraine is committing genocide. Ukraine vociferously contests this assertion

and has moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Russia under the

Genocide Convention requesting an indication of provisional measures. e ICJ

on 16 March 2022 indicated provisional measures ordering Russia to immedi-

ately stop the war. It found that Ukraine has a plausible right under the Geno-

cide Convention not to be subjected to military operations aimed at preventing

and punishing an alleged genocide. Although Russia has not complied with the

ICJ’s binding decision, the weight of global opinion against Russia’s illegal ac-

tions is mounting.

Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, ICJ, Genocide Convention, Provisional Measures, the

Law of the Use of Force