Izuchukwu Okosi
Russia on Monday failed to attend a hearing at the United Nations’ top court where Ukraine asked for an immediate end to the mindless invasion from the government of Vladimir Putin.
The Head of the International Court of Justice, and Ukraine both condemned Russia’s flagrant disregard and referred to the the empty Russian seats as being speaking “loudly”.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelUkraine had filed the case shortly after the invasion began on February 24.
Ukraine accused Russia of illegally justifying its war by falsely alleging genocide in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
The court set two days for urgent hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague but Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin wrote to the court and “indicated that his government did not intend to participate”.
“The court regrets the non-appearance of the Russian Federation in these oral proceedings,” ICJ President Joan Donoghue said.
Ukraine pleaded the court to take provisional measures ordering Russia to “immediately suspend the military operations” pending a full judgment in the dispute that could take years.
“The fact that Russia’s seats are empty speaks loudly. They are not here in this court of law, they are on a battlefield, waging aggressive war against my country,” Ukraine’s representative Anton Korynevych told the court.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
