REUTERS

In its decision in the case of Ukraine v. Russia (as regards Crimea) (application nos. 20958/14 and 38334/18) the European Court of Human Rights has, by a majority, declared the application partly admissible.

The case concerns Ukraine's allegations of a pattern ("administrative practice") of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by the Russian Federation in Crimea, the press statement says.

Firstly, the Court identified the scope of the issue before it and held that what was to be decided was whether the alleged pattern of human-rights violations by Russia in Crimea during the relevant period, namely between 27 February 2014 and 26 August 2015, was admissible.

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The Court says it was not called upon to decide whether Crimea's annexation had been lawful from the standpoint of international law.

Read alsoThe aggressor must be punished: Why 2021 is important for Ukraine in international courtsThe court also decided to give notice to the Russian Government of the complaint, not raised until 2018, concerning the alleged transfer of Ukrainian "convicts" to the territory of Russia, and, given the overlap, in this respect, with another inter-State application, Ukraine v. Russia (no. 38334/18), decided to join the latter application to the present case and examine the admissibility and merits of that complaint and the latter application at the same time as the merits stage of the proceedings.

Aside from this case, there are now two other inter-State cases and over 7,000 individual applications pending before the Court concerning the events in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine and the Sea of Azov.