Ukraine filed a complaint against Russia with the Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ) on February 26, 2022, denouncing Russia's gross manipulation of the notion of genocide, as set forth in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in order to legally justify its aggression against Ukraine, and requesting an urgent decision ordering at least a cease-fire pending the judgment on the merits.
The International Litigation and Arbitration Department of the law firm Sygna Partners, headed by Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, is part of the group of lawyers advising Ukraine in this case and pleaded before the Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ) on 7 March 2022.
The Court issued its order on the request for provisional measures on March 16, 2022. In short, the Court orders peace!
In detail, it decides that :
prima facie, it has jurisdiction pursuant Article IX of the Genocide Convention to deal with the case;
there is a real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice to the rights invoked by Ukraine;
that the conditions required by its Statute for it to indicate provisional measures (irreparable prejudice to a plausible right invoked by Ukraine).
The Court orders :
by a very large majority, Russia to suspend immediately the military operations begun on Ukrainian territory on 24 February 2022,
by a very large majority, Russia to ensure that no military unit, irregular armed unit that may be under its authority or support, or any other organization that may be under its control or direction, commits any acts tending to the continuation of military actions on Ukrainian territory;
and, unanimously, to each of the parties not to take any action that would aggravate and expand the dispute.
We warmly welcome this order by the International Court of Justice, which once again proves its importance. The measures ordered by the Court are binding on both parties. Russia must comply with the terms of the order.
Sygna Partners is proud to support Ukraine and to contribute to peace through law.