Ukraine v. Russia : International Court Of Justice Concludes Hearing Ukraine's Application; Russia Refuses To Appear [LIVE UPDATES]

Ukraine: Simply alleging genocide cannot give a State the right under the Convention to carry out a unilateral military operation against the other State in order to prevent or punish the alleged genocide.

Ukraine: Without a plausible predicated act of genocide or a serious risk of it, Russia has no duty to prevent or punish under the Genocide Convention.

Ukraine: Quite simply Russia's sweeping claim of a genocide which almost 4 million people are facing has no plausible basis in fact.

Ukraine: Today Mariupol is suffering a humanitarian crisis inflicted upon it by the Russian military which will not allow safe passage for civilians as the Ukrainian government seeks to protect its citizens there.

Ukraine cites the example of Mariupol a major port city of Ukraine which is predominantly Russian speaking yet there are no signs of Ukrainians human rights violations.

Ukraine: Russia has seemed to suggest that the invasion is to protect the Russian speakers in the Donbass region. But there are many cities in #Ukraine including in the Donbass region that are predominantly Russian speaking yet do not welcome Russia's actions.

Ukraine: Without satisfying the actus reus under Art II, there is no genocide under the Convention. There is also no evidence of the required mens rea. No evidence that Ukraine acted with the specific intent destroying a particular national, ethnic or religious group.

Ukraine: There is no plausible evidence that the civilian casualties in the Donbass region were caused deliberately by Ukraine. There is thus no plausible evidence that Ukraine committed killings within the meaning of Art II of the Convention.

Ukraine relies on the ICJ judgement in Gambia v. Myanmar to seek provisional measures.

Ukraine: Yet Russia has the gall to massacre Ukrainians and call it protection. Russia has the gall to attempt to overthrow a democratically elected government and call it "punishment of Nazis". Russia has the gall to accuse Ukraine of a fake genocide and reign destruction.