Ukraine crisis: Russia fails to show for international court hearings in The Hague

International Court of Justice judge says Russian ambassador to Netherlands ‘indicated his government did not intend to participate’

Ukraine’s court representative says fact ‘Russia’s seats are empty speaks loudly. They are on battlefield, waging aggressive war against my country’

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A woman feeds a baby after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. Photo: AP

Published: 6:32pm, 7 Mar 2022Updated: 12:41pm, 9 Mar 2022

Russia on Monday boycotted hearings at the UN’s highest court during which Ukraine will argue that Moscow has falsely applied genocide law in justifying its invasion and will seek an emergency order halting hostilities.

Hearings began at 9am GMT at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague without legal representation for Russia.

Local residents help Igor Majayev, right, clear the rubble of a home destroyed by a suspected Russian air strike which killed at least six, including Majayev’s relatives, in Markhalivka, Ukraine, on Saturday. Photo: Tribune News Service

“The court regrets the non-appearance of the Russian Federation in these oral proceedings,” International Court of Justice President Joan Donoghue said.

The Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin, wrote to the court and “indicated that his government did not intend to participate,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands did not reply to a request for comment.

A demonstrator protests outside the ICJ’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Photo: dpa

Ukraine’s representative at the court, Anton Korynevych, criticised Russia for not showing up at the ICJ’s Peace Palace headquarters.

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