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*Research Service
The Role of International Tribunals in the
Response to the Invasion of Ukraine
Updated April 13, 2022
The Ukrainian government and much of the international community contend that actions taken by
Russian forces following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine violate international law. A number of
officials have also expressed concern that actions during the invasion may amount to war crimes and
crimes against humanity; others, including the Secretary General of the United Nations (U.N.) and the
U.S. Secretary of State have claimed that the situation in Ukraine is leading to increased human rights
violations. This Sidebar addresses the role of international tribunals in addressing issues involving
international humanitarian and human rights law.
Individual and Russian Accountability for Actions in
Ukraine
Several international tribunals may play a role in addressing Russia's actions in Ukraine, chiefly the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), and European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR). This section provides an overview of current and prior disputes involving Ukrainian
allegations against Russia or individuals connected to Russian actions in Ukraine.
International Court of Justice
On February 27, 2022, Ukraine filed an application with the ICJ to initiate proceedings against Russia
under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide
Convention). Article II of that Convention defines genocide as certain wrongful acts-such as killing,
causing serious bodily harm, or deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about physical
destruction-when committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. In its
ICJ filing, Ukraine contends that Russia premised its invasion on fabricated claims of Ukrainian genocide
against Russians or Russian-speakers in Ukraine, which Ukraine emphatically denies. Ukraine argues
Russia has turned the Genocide Convention on its head-making a false claim of genocide as a basis to
justify its own grave and widespread human rights violations.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
LSB10704
CRS Legal Sidebar
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress