ECHR found Russia guilty of numerous human rights violations during its aggression against Ukraine

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on July 9 found Russia guilty in a major interstate case involving complaints from Ukraine and the Netherlands. They concern numerous human rights violations during the aggression against Ukraine since 2014. Among them was the shooting down of flight MH17 in the Donetsk region on July 17, 2014.

This was reported by the Grand Chamber of ECHR, writes European Truth.

The case brought together four interstate complaints against Russia to ECHR from Ukraine and the Netherlands:

• Ukraine v. Russia (No. 8019/16) — violations during the armed conflict in Donbas, including the downing of MH17, torture, forced labor, etc.;
• Ukraine v. Russia (No. 43800/14) — abduction and illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation in 2014;
• Netherlands v. Russia (No. 28525/20) — circumstances and consequences of the downing of flight MH17;
• Ukraine v. Russia (No. 11055/22) — gross human rights violations during the full-scale invasion since February 24, 2022.

The Court unanimously found that it had jurisdiction over the complaints concerning events that occurred before 16 September 2022, when Russia withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights. ECtHR noted that it was not its task to assess the legality of the Russian invasion and occupation, but to assess the compliance of Russia’s actions with the fundamental principles set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols.

Russia was found guilty of numerous human rights violations that occurred in the occupied territories from May 11, 2014 to September 16, 2022, and were of a massive and systemic nature.

Among the crimes: arbitrary killings of civilians and prisoners of war, deprivation of liberty, inhuman treatment, use of torture, Russiaʼs ignoring of the consequences of its strikes on the civilian population, systematic practice of suppressing Ukrainian identity, including through the education system, practice of "filtration", deportation of Ukrainian children and adult civilians deep into the occupied territories or to the territory of the Russian Federation, etc.

The court also established that flight MH17 over Donbas was shot down by a Russian “Buk” air defense system and that Russia is responsible for making this possible.

What is known about flight MH17?

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, near occupied Toretsk (Donetsk region), by a Russian-made “Buk” anti-aircraft missile system. 298 people died.

On November 17, 2022, the District Court of The Hague, which is considering the case of the downing of airliner MH17 in 2014, found Igor Girkin (call sign "Strelkov"), his subordinates Sergei Dubinsky (call sign "Khmuryi") and Leonid Kharchenko (call sign "Krot") guilty of the destruction of the flight. Oleg Pulatov (call sign "Gyurza") was acquitted. Russia and the convicts deny their involvement in the disaster.

On May 12, 2025, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held Russia responsible for the shooting down of passenger plane flight MH17.

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