The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has received two inter-State complaints from the Government of the Ukraine against Russia over the situation in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The ECtHR has also received more than 160 individual applications pending before the Court, lodged against the Ukraine or Russia or both.
The case Ukraine v Russia (no. 20958/14) related to the events leading up to and following the assumption of control by the Russian Federation over the Crimean peninsula and the subsequent developments in Eastern Ukraine. The Government of the Ukraine claim that Russia held effective control over the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and situation which led to numerous violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Government of the Ukraine submit that Ukrainian military servicemen, officers of law-enforcement bodies and civilians were killed as a result of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russian support of separatist armed groups in Eastern Ukraine. They claim that the killings are part of a widespread and systemic practice of human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment, and deprivation of liberty. There has also been documented attacks, abductions and harassment of journalists.
The case of Ukraine v Russia II (no. 43800/14) concerns the abduction of three groups of Ukrainian orphan children and children without parental care, and a number of adults accompanying them. The groups were allegedly abducted by armed representatives of the separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine, and subsequently transported to Russia, on three separate instances. The Russian Government has been invited to make submissions on the admissibility of both applications.
There are more than 160 individual applications pending before the ECtHR with complaints against the Ukraine or Russia or both. More than 20 of these applications related to the events in Crimea. In particular they concern alleged violations of article 2 (right to life), article 3 (prohibition on torture and inhuman and degrading treatment), and article 8 (right to private and family life).
The ECtHR has applied interim measures, under rule 39 of the Rules of the Court, that both Russia and the Ukraine should ensure respect for human rights, especially under articles 2 (right to life) and 3 (prohibition on torture and inhuman and degrading treatment).
The ECtHR will first decide on the admissibility of the complaints and has invited the Russian Government to submit observations on admissibility of both inter-State complaints, and to comment on the legal remedies available to any person alleging violations of their Convention rights.
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