Top European rights court says Russia broke international law in Ukraine
Judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg are ruling on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia, encompassing a wide range of alleged human rights violations since the start of the conflict, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
Any decision will be largely symbolic. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Russia in 2022, following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice.
The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens.
More to come…
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia in escalating war of words
United States President Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to travel closer to Russia, in his latest tit-for-tat with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev. On Friday, Trump posted on his platform Truth Social that the submarine movements came in response to the 'highly provocative statements' Medvedev, a former Russian president, made this week. A day earlier, Medvedev had warned that Trump should be mindful of 'how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be', a reference to Russia's Cold War-era nuclear weapons system. 'I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,' Trump wrote. 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' In recent weeks, Trump has been enmeshed in an escalating war of words with Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council under current President Vladimir Putin. Medvedev and Putin have a close relationship: When Medvedev served as president from 2008 to 2012, Putin was his prime minister. Afterwards, when Putin returned to the presidency, Medvedev served as his prime minister from 2012 to 2020. But as Trump voices increasing frustration with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, he has increasingly singled out Medvedev, a noted war hawk, as a target for his anger. Both men have hinted at their countries' nuclear capabilities, and their public exchanges have grown increasingly tense. A war of words In a social media post earlier this week, Trump pivoted from a discussion of trade between India and Russia to an attack on Medvedev for his sabre-rattling remarks. 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,' Trump wrote. 'Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!' Medvedev, meanwhile, has appeared to relish how his words provoke the US president. 'If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path,' Medvedev responded in a post on Telegram. Medvedev then proceeded to reference the zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead, in an apparent nod to the devastation Russia has the power to cause. 'And as for the 'dead economy' of India and Russia and 'entering dangerous territory' — well, let Trump remember his favourite films about the 'Walking Dead'.' This week is not the first time Trump and Medvedev have taken their beef online. In late June, the two men likewise sparred and flexed their nuclear arsenals. 'Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?' Trump wrote on June 23. He then pointed to the recent US attack on Iran as an example of how the country might respond to other threats. 'If anyone thinks our 'hardware' was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,' Trump wrote. 'They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built.' He also took a jab at Medvedev's position under Putin, suggesting that Medvedev's threats were irresponsible. 'I guess that's why Putin's 'THE BOSS',' Trump quipped. Frustrations over Ukraine war The high-stakes back-and-forth comes as Trump becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress towards peace in Ukraine. Since February 2022, a slow-grinding war has unfolded in the country, as Ukraine attempts to repel a full-scale invasion from Russia. Trump entered his second term as president pledging to be a global 'peacemaker and unifier', and his administration has openly advocated for the Republican leader to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But his efforts to resolve the dispute between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. Early in his second term, Trump himself faced criticism for appearing to undermine Ukraine's cause, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a 'dictator' and appearing to offer Russia concessions, including annexed Ukrainian territory. By contrast, Trump initially took a warm approach to Putin, telling Zelenskyy in a fiery Oval Office meeting, 'Putin went through a hell of a lot with me.' But in recent months, that relationship appears to have cooled, with Trump threatening Russia with sanctions as the war grinds on. On July 28, he announced that Russia would have '10 or 12 days' to stop its offensive, or else the economic penalties would take effect. Then, on Thursday, as Russia shelled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Trump slammed its continued military action. 'Russia — I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting,' he said. But Medvedev has previously described Trump's deadlines as 'theatrical' and said that 'Russia didn't care' about the threats. He also warned that Trump's aggressive foreign policy stance may backfire with his 'America First' base. 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia,' Medvedev wrote on the social media platform X earlier this week. 'He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.'
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
‘Accountability elusive' a year after Nigeria protest killings: Amnesty
The Nigerian government has failed to ensure accountability after police used deadly force to disperse mass 2024 demonstrations against soaring living costs, Amnesty International has said on the first anniversary of the protests. In a statement on Friday, the human rights group said police in Nigeria 'bizarrely continue to deny strong allegations of extrajudicial execution, torture and unlawful arrests of the protesters'. An Amnesty investigation found that at least 24 people were killed when police opened fire on the protests, which erupted in August of last year under the slogan #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria. Demonstrators took to the streets across the country in anger about soaring fuel prices and inflation, spurred by government reforms aimed at reviving the economy. 'A year on, despite the gravity of these human rights violations, not a single member of the security forces has been prosecuted, as accountability remains elusive for the 24 peaceful protesters killed in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger and Kaduna states,' Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said in Friday's statement. 'Those behind these atrocities must be held to account.' A spokesman for Nigeria's Ministry of Justice did not respond to a request for comment from the AFP news agency. Amnesty said that in all the killings, protesters were shot by police who fired live ammunition 'at close range, often at the head or torso, suggesting that officers were shooting to kill'. 'The Nigerian authorities are yet to take appropriate and effective measures to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including by ending the killing, intimidation and harassment of protesters, arbitrary arrests and detention, and mass surveillance, especially in the context of protests,' Sanusi said. The rights group also condemned what it described as 'sham trials' for the hundreds of protesters who were arrested on a variety of alleged offences. Charges include ''levy[ing] war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president'' as well as ''using WhatsApp group chats,' 'inciting to mutiny,' 'chanting 'Tinubu must go', calling on the military to take over government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu' and 'intent to destabilize Nigeria', according to Amnesty. Tinubu's reforms – including floating the naira currency and ending a costly fuel subsidy – have been supported as long overdue by economists, but led to the cost of living to spike in the country. Though no one has been tried for the deaths, the Nigerian government has been forced at times to step back from its prosecutions of protesters. In November, dozens of youths, many of them children, appeared in court frail and hungry, sparking outcry over their treatment in jail. Tinubu later ordered their release. But some trials are still under way for the roughly 700 people arrested.
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Switzerland says ‘disappointed' by Trump tariffs, will try to negotiate
Switzerland says it will try to negotiate its way out of stiff United States tariffs, hours after US President Donald Trump's administration shocked the European country by announcing plans to impose a 39-percent tariff rate on Swiss goods. The Swiss government said on Friday that it was 'disappointed' and would decide how to proceed after Trump unveiled the 39-percent rate, more than double the 15 percent being applied for most European Union imports into the US. The new tariffs, which are set to go into effect on August 7, would prove painful for several key Swiss industries, including manufacturing and watchmaking. The Swiss government said in a statement on social media that it remains in contact with US authorities and 'still hopes to find a negotiated solution'. 'The Federal Council notes with great regret the intention of the US to unilaterally burden Swiss imports with considerable import duties despite the progress made in bilateral talks and Switzerland's very constructive position,' it added. The Trump administration unveiled a range of new tariffs on many US trading partners on Thursday, saying the move aimed to address a 'continued lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships'. Nearly 70 countries now face import duties that were due to come into force on Friday. But most will now begin on August 7, giving countries a few days to try to reach an agreement with Washington to stave off or reduce their respective tariff rate. 'Everyone had been focused on August 1 … and now there is a new deadline,' Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reported from the White House on Friday morning. 'The reason is so that there can be a little bit more time and breathing space to get some more deals done. There were a few that were very close but didn't quite make the deadline, and so the White House [said] this will allow … for these final agreements to be worked out.' Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the US president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them. Asked on Friday if countries were happy with the rates set by Trump, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, 'A lot of them are.' The new tariffs also include a 35-percent duty on many goods from Canada, 50 percent for Brazil, and 20 percent for Taiwan. Taiwan said its rate was 'temporary' and it expected to reach a lower figure. The Trump administration said it decided to impose 39-percent tariffs on Switzerland because of what it called the European country's refusal to make 'meaningful concessions' by dropping trade barriers. 'Switzerland, being one of the wealthiest, highest-income countries on Earth, cannot expect the United States to tolerate a one-sided trade relationship,' a White House official said on Friday. Swissmem, a group representing the mechanical and electrical engineering industries, said it was 'really stunned' by the US move. 'It's a massive shock for the export industry and for the whole country,' said Deputy Director Jean-Philippe Kohl. 'The tariffs are not based on any rational basis and are totally arbitrary … This tariff will hit Swiss industry very hard, especially as our competitors in the European Union, Britain and Japan have much lower tariffs.' Stock market tumbles But Trump's new tariffs have created yet more uncertainty, with many details unclear. Global stock markets stumbled on Friday, with Europe's STOXX 600 down 1.8 percent on the day and 2.5 percent on the week, on track for its biggest weekly drop since Trump announced his first major wave of tariffs on April 2. Wall Street also opened sharply lower on Friday. Reporting from the New York Stock Exchange, Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey explained that US markets were 'definitely down' following the tariffs announcement, but the drop was not as bad as what was seen after the first round of tariffs in April. 'When the first round of tariffs were enacted, the market did drop substantially, but then clawed back a lot of the losses about a month later as deals were worked out. A lot of economists are saying that this time around, the market has priced in tariffs,' Saloomey said. Still, she said, 'the concern is still that the underlying fundamentals of the economy are under strain and the full weight of the tariffs' has yet to be seen.
