UN court to consider Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia for genocide - Reuters

According to the lawsuit, Ukraine seeks to demonstrate that Russia violated the 1948 Convention by justifying its invasion on the grounds of preventing "genocide" against Russians by Ukraine.

Russia demands the case be dismissed and challenges the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The hearings, which will last until September 27, will not delve into the substance of the case but will focus on legal arguments regarding jurisdiction.

Ukraine has already overcome one hurdle: in March of last year, the court issued a preliminary decision in its favor. Based on this decision, the court ordered Russia to immediately cease military actions on Ukrainian territory.

During the hearings, the court will also hear from representatives of 32 other states supporting Ukraine's arguments that the court has jurisdiction to proceed with the case.

The 1948 UN Convention on Genocide defines genocide as acts committed "with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group as such."

The United Nations does not see genocide of Ukrainians

Recently, Eric Meserschmidt, the head of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on violations in Ukraine under the auspices of the United Nations, stated that the organization has not yet arrived at the conclusion that genocide is occurring in Ukraine.

According to his remarks, the commission lacks sufficient evidence that aligns with the legal qualifications outlined in the Genocide Convention.

Simultaneously, Alice Jill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on torture for the United Nations, asserted that the torture perpetrated by Russian security forces against Ukrainians is a component of Kremlin policy.