Today, the ICJ denounced the indiscriminate use of force by the Russian army against civilian targets in and around Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, which caused the death of hundreds of civilians.
The ICJ considers that the Russian army has violated the right to life of unarmed civilians. International humanitarian law provides that non-combatants are protected and that there can be no justification whatsoever for the use of force against them. Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions provides: “Persons taking no active part in the hostilities … shall in all circumstances be treated humanely…” Article 3 also expressly prohibits “violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture…”
The ICJ calls upon the Russian government to refrain from the use of indiscriminate force against civilians, bring the actions of its agents into conformity with accepted international standards, and bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
